Freedom is the Dream
by RainbowsNSmiles5
Summary: Born into a wealthy family, Molly is given a man to marry and compliments on her beauty, but it doesn't satisfy her loneliness, insecurity, and desire to be truly loved. Trusting her strange dreams, she runs far away to find freedom. Molly x Chase!
1. All That Glitters is Not Gold

**** Welcome to my new Molly x Chase Fanfic! If you're here after reading any of my other stories, thank you so much for sticking with me! :D **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARVEST MOON. ** **

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

"Oh, dear, sit up straight," Mother said to me as we sat at the dinner table.

"Yes, Mother," I said and obeyed without protest.

It was quiet between my mother, father, and I as we ate our dinners, while butlers stood at the other end of the dining room, waiting for one of us to finish our food to pick it up, or for one of our glasses to be refilled.

It always felt weird for me to let them take mine and my family's orders, though they were being paid for their services. And even if I tried to get up and do it for myself, I wouldn't know what to do anyways. I was born into one of the wealthiest families in the country and have had everything given and done for me without having to lift a finger.

Besides, Mother would just simply stop me and say, "Oh, dear, just let Martin or Hugh get that for you! Must you put your father's money to waste?" She sure knew how to lay a guilt trip on me.

"We had a chat with the Paxton's this morning," Father said to me.

The Paxton's, too, were a very wealthy family, but not quite as much as my family. They have always been close to my family for generations. My parents have even offered my hand in marriage to the family's only son when we I was born. Mother and Father say that when the Paxton's brought their four-month-old son to visit my Mother and I after I was born, he reached out from his mother's arms and touched my newborn hand. They say a cute smile formed on my face and called it fate. All that we are waiting for now is my eighteenth birthday, which is only three short weeks away.

Mother and Father are so overjoyed about the arranged marriage and have made sure that the wedding will be flawless and luxurious beyond belief. It's like the whole world is revolved around this wedding. Father has told me that he has, so far, spent over five million dollars on just the ceremony. I insisted that he shouldn't spend so much for me, but he just laughed and patted me on the head.

"They say that Bryce will be visiting you tomorrow," Mother said with a satisfied smile. "Isn't he such a nice boy? He's going to be a fine husband for you. Don't have such a frown, Margaret!"

I sighed and gave a light smile to humor her. "That is very considerate of him to visit me," I said, my voice rather monotone.

"Oh, Margaret, dear, finish your beans," Mother said. "You didn't eat your eggs this morning, so I won't allow you to skip your beans."

"We don't want to risk having you becoming protein deficient," Father agreed.

My family lives on a vegetarian diet, on account that Father owns a chain of restaurants called "Mont Veggie" that serve only vegetarian-friendly foods. It's very popular among vegetarians and also people that wish to lose a few pounds.

My father feels it would be too ironic if he himself weren't a vegetarian, so he persuaded my mother to switch to the diet and raised me to be vegetarian along with them.

I've never ate a bite of meat before, but I have smelt it once when Bryce took me into the city for a day of shopping. I was walking down the city's sidewalk beside Bryce, who kept trying to hold my hand, when we came across a hotdog stand. The wind blew the scent into my nostrils and made my mouth water.

Bryce looked at my lustful expression and chuckled. "Silly, Molly. You know you can't eat that stuff." And then, like a slap in the face, unaware of how much the aroma intoxicated me, he bought himself one and ate it in front of me. "Come on," he said, pulling me by the hand. "Let's get you something to eat. You must be starving!"

I didn't fight with him about it. Mother wouldn't be happy if I quarreled with him and risk getting the marriage called off, though I highly doubt Bryce would ever cancel anything that involved us doing the smallest thing together, let alone our wedding. Plus, Mother and Father always said it was inappropriate for a lady to shout. I had to obey their rules. What other choice do I have? A Montgomery doesn't belong anywhere else…

I am Margaret Amelia Rose Montgomery, though I prefer to be called Molly as a nickname, not that Mother and Father would ever call me that because, according to them, Margaret has class.

I having both Amelia and Rose as middle names seems a bit much. Why two middle names? I don't know a single person who has two middle names, but I guess that doesn't count for much since I don't know very many people.

I once asked Father why they gave me two and he replied with, "Because, Margaret, normal people have merely one middle name. You are a golden girl, so you deserve two." I should've saw that one coming…

I am born into an orderly and ridiculously wealthy family consisting of myself and parents that enjoy spoiling me with expensive, luxurious things, the best that money can buy. I am bound to be a proper lady that will marry a man, who I have known since I birth, and be taken care of for the rest of my life. What other life could I have? That's the only life I have been offered.

After being excused from the table, I went up to my room on the third story. I wiped away the painted smile I made for Mother and let my mouth go back to its usual frown.

I changed into my silk pajamas, which had two M's sown onto it, and brushed my long, gold hair.

I honestly don't know why people get so worked up over it. It's only hair, yet my parents, the Paxton's, and several others always complimented it, saying things like, "It's so beautiful!" or "It suits such a pretty girl!".

But it isn't just my hair people fret over. It was EVERYTHING about me; everything from my hair, eyes, skin, my figure. Heck, someone once even complimented my hands for Goddess' sake!

I don't see the beauty they see in me. Everything they say that is so beautiful looks plain to me. My blonde hair… I hate my hair the most, and yet people say it's the most striking feature about me. I say it's an eyesore. But there is something I can agree on: my sparkly, brown eyes.

Other than my eyes, every time someone compliments me, I want to gag. Are they really saying those nice things because they're true, or because they want to suck-up in order to get close to my family's wealth? What about my parents? Do they only say this stuff to make me think that they love me? It's caused me to question everybody I know. But I don't enjoy thinking about that. It makes me feel alone in a world of fakers.

I climbed into bed and closed my eyes, imagining cheerful things to help me fall asleep happy.

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><p><em>I found my ankle chained to a cold, stonewall in a room and I wore a white stray-jacket. Was I in some type of jail? Asylum? I saw the color gray everywhere, except for the small window that revealed a blue sky. Luckily, the chain was long enough for me to approach the window.<em>

_I peeked through it and there was a dock with a white ship. The ship was enormous and had a blue stripe around its body and had a quote painted in black that I couldn't make out. The seawater was a cool, sparkly blue and the sun in the sky shined brightly. I could see the island across the sea. I'm not sure how I saw the island, for it seemed like the sea between where I was and the island was hundreds of miles far. The island had a vast garden with jaw dropping, stunning violet roses. It was paradise, heaven._

"_Why can't I be there?" I screamed, hitting the stonewall that kept me away from the outside. _

_I then felt my mother, father, and Bryce's hands dragging me away from the window. I tried to brush them off, but they over-powered me. "No!" I screamed again, my voice giving out._

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><p>Suddenly, I sat up, breathing heavily and looked around to see that I was in my room. "Just another dream…"<p>

I calmly went to my bathroom to wash the beads of sweat from my face. I then went down cases of white, marble stairs to the first floor kitchen. I could've easily taken the elevator, but using such an unnecessary luxury made me uncomfortable.

You couldn't look anywhere in the kitchen without seeing black frying pans, and many different sized spatulas and ladles hung up above high-tech stoves with giant, silver pots on them. There was another room on the left side, which was the break room for the kitchen staff where there were open tables and a small kitchen for snacks and quick microwave meals.

I always went to this room in the middle of the night after a weird dream; and lately, that has been happening every other night now. Of course, Mother and Father wouldn't approve of me mixing myself with the cooks and workers, so I never tell them about my late night adventures in the break room.

I walked into the empty room and sat at the usual table I liked to sit at. I positioned my arms and used them as a pillow for my head while I waited.

"Hey! Looks like Lady Molly is having another rough night!" I heard a voice laugh.

It was Shelley, the head chef of the house. She was possibly the only person I could speak to without having to worry about if I'm speaking properly with polite manners, or worrying about saying the wrong thing. I felt free when I talked to Shelley.

"Yeah, another dream…" I groaned.

"I tell ya, it's this dang veggie diet you guys have! Ya know, as a chef, it's very insulting," she said. "Y'all are missin' out on all sorts of good food, like fried chicken!"

Shelley was always straightforward with what she felt; she didn't hold back. That was one of the things I liked about her besides her brown hair, and her big, honey brown eyes. She says that we have the same eyes, which is why I've come to love my eyes.

I laughed, something that seemed to only happen involuntarily around Shelley. "Where have I heard that before?"

She laughed too. "So, what was your dream this time? Did you have another one about getting lost in a carnival, or what about the one where you found a talking bear in the middle of the desert. That one's my favorite!"

"No. I was chained up in an asylum or a jail and there was this small window in my cell. I looked through it and saw a sea and a ship. And, somehow, I could see an island from far away and there were violet roses there. The whole time…I was wishing I could be there instead of being chained up in the asylum. Then, my parents and Bryce pulled me away from the window…"

Shelley raised an eyebrow. "Wow, that one sounds disturbing."

"I really wish I didn't have these weird dreams…" I said almost in a whisper.

Shelley gasped and started waving her arms frantically. "Oh, no, don't be upset! Maybe these dreams are just your brain trying to tell you something!"

I gave her a skeptic look. "A talking bear in a desert?"

"Well, the asylum one seemed symbolic. I bet when your parents and Bryce pulled you away from the window, it symbolized them controlling your life! Jerks!"

"Ha, I don't think Bryce could control me if he wanted to. He's too soft on me. Besides, I think you're just saying that because you don't like my mother."

"She accused me of putting chicken in her soup!"

I smiled. "Speaking of food, you think we can have some ice cream?"

"Oh, heck yeah!" she cheered.

She pulled out a huge tub of chocolate ice cream we kept in the freezer just for our late night talks and placed it in the middle of the table and handed me my big spoon.

"Shelley?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you become a chef?"

She beamed. "My dad is the famous Gourmet Pierre! He would always make the tastiest things for Mama and me. Eventually, he started teaching how to cook and I fell in love with it. I just love it so much!"

"Oh, yeah, I've heard of him. If your dad is so famous, why didn't Father hire him?"

"Dad wanted to stay with Mama at her farm. He's the one who recommended me to your dad, which is how I managed to get such a high paying job so early in my career. Getting a job like this at only twenty years old is pretty remarkable!"

"I'm really glad Father hired you. If you weren't here, I wouldn't have anyone to talk to…"

Shelley's face fell and looked at me with sympathy. "You must be so lonely…"

I looked away from Shelley and concentrated on the tub of ice cream while my stomach became tied into knots.

"I…I don't know why people say such nice things about me when I feel so inferior…"

Shelley rushed over to my side and hugged me so tight that I could barely breath.

She let me go, but kept hold of my shoulders when she looked seriously into my eyes. I had never seen her look so serious before, so it was easy to believe what she said. "Molly, you are an amazing girl. I know you hate it when people say that kinda stuff, but I really mean it. You're such a sweet, selfless, beautiful girl."

I couldn't say anything; my mouth felt stitched tight. I only stared at her like a deer in headlights.

She tried again to make sure what she was saying was sinking in. "You are anything but inferior."

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><p><strong>** You're probably saying, "WHAT? WHY DOES MOLLY HAVE BLONDE HAIR?" Hahaha, don't worry. Everything will soon fall into place and make her the Molly we know and love. And before you ask, yes, Shelley is the grown-up daughter of Pierre and Chelsea from Island of HappinessSunshine Islands! **

**I hope you liked reading it as much as I did writing it!** **And don't forget to review and let me know what you think so far! :) ****


	2. Inspiring Dream

**** I'm glad you guys like this! And thank you for the kind reviews! **

**A Random Person 3: Thank you so much for pointing that out! I checked it and you were right. You weren't being a jerk, by the way! xD **

**Here's the second chapter! ****

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>

"Miss, the Paxton's have arrived," the maid said outside my bedroom door with a light knock. "They and Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery are waiting at the front foyer."

"Thank you," I called out to her as I zipped up my sparkly, gold dress. My parents sure loved to surround me in gold.

I checked myself in my gold-framed mirror. My long hair had loose ringlet curls, my nails were done with a French manicure, my light make-up applied cleanly and professionally, my gold, open-toe heels were nice and snug around my tiny feet; I looked as dressy as ever. Great…

I slowly made my way down the marble stairs until I saw everyone below the last set of stairs and froze in place.

Bryce glanced and lit up when he saw me. "Molly! I missed you so much while I was away!" he said, making his way up the stairs to me. He twirled me around, making it hard not to inhale the obnoxious cologne he wore.

The adults watched us with content smiles, saying to each other how sweet we were together and how joyous the wedding will be.

But my parents were probably also wondering why I asked Bryce to call me Molly instead of Margaret. They didn't understand where Molly came from. I tried to explain that some use it as a nickname for Margaret. They said that nicknames would only cut off the beauty and elegance in my name, so they refused to use that name.

Bryce, on the other hand, enjoyed doing whatever I told him, so he was more than excited to call me Molly after I told him that it was what I preferred.

If anything, that was the single thing that got on my parents nerves relating to Bryce, but that was nowhere near enough reason to call off the wedding. They liked him too much and there was already so much anticipated to call off for something so small as a nickname.

Bryce let go of me and grabbed my hand. "Let's join our parents," he suggested.

"Okay…"

I didn't say much when we joined our parents. Everything sickened me while we were with them. I don't know which part I hated more - the parents talking about how perfect of a couple Bryce and I were, that they kept talking about my so called beauty and my supposed singing talent that I naturally have, or that Bryce was hugging me by the waist with his arm the entire time.

"Margaret," Mother finally said to me after bragging about my long hair. "Don't you and Bryce want some alone time while we talk amongst ourselves? Go on, take him to your room."

I sighed and reluctantly did so. Bryce and I sat on my bed and talked the entire time while he rubbed my hand.

"Molly, you're so beautiful, it's unreal. I'm lucky," he said, running a free hand through my hair. "I can't wait until the wedding. I've been waiting fourteen years for this; I don't think I can wait another three weeks." He gazed at me for an answer.

"Oh, I can't wait either…" Inside, I was rolling my eyes at how cloying he was being.

I don't know what was wrong with me; any girl would love to hear these words, especially from someone like Bryce Paxton.

Bryce is, I'll admit, very handsome with his short, dark brown, fluffy hair, and his emerald eyes. Not only to his looks, but he was cheerful, always with a smile, clean, and highly intelligent. He even goes to one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the country, one hundred miles away from home, for his studies, which is why he only comes to visit on weekends, holidays, or when he asks his father to pull some strings for him. He says that while he is away at school, he thinks about me and how happy he will make me once he marries me.

"You're so shy, Molly," he said with a smile. "But what are you thinking about? I can never figure out what goes on in that pretty little head of yours. Is something troubling you? Because I'll do whatever I can to make you happy again!" he said in desperation.

I hesitated and I put on my best grin. "N-Nothing is wrong… I'm just…just…"

He blinked. "Just?"

"Just…hungry?"

He laughed with relief. "Is that all? Why didn't you just say so?" He left my room for a second and came back to my side with his cheeky grin. "I asked someone to bring you something to eat."

"Oh, thank you," I said. "You take very good care of me."

That was something I truly liked about Bryce. Though I never felt anything significant for him, he was always there for me no matter what. Once, when I had come down with the flu, he skipped school and traveled all the way back home just to sit by my side and keep me company for three days.

I often scolded myself for not feeling the same feelings Bryce felt, but it couldn't be helped. No matter how hard I tell myself that I love him, I can't convince my stupid brain. I thought maybe after time, something will happen, but it never did. I can only see him as a childhood companion that always supported me. If he wasn't my fiancé, I would call him my best friend next to Shelley.

"Do you remember when we were little and our parents used to set up play-dates for us?"

I nodded. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no real reason really. I was just thinking about how much fun we got to have together, how oblivious to marriage we were…" Bryce frowned and scooted closer to me. "Molly, we need to talk seriously for a second."

"W-Weren't we already?"

He cupped my cheek with his hand. "Molly, I love you so much. I go crazy at school because I can't see you! If my father would let me be home schooled like you then I'd be so happy, but my father is so stubborn…"

Hearing this, I feel like a horrible person. Why can't I just love him as much as he loves me? It shouldn't be so hard! This is the way my life is supposed to go: turn eighteen, marry Bryce, have his children and be taken care of for the rest of my life in our new mansion that our families will be more than happy to buy for us as a wedding gift.

I've read countless books where the main characters describe love. Some say you feel unconditional, irresistible feelings towards them and whenever you kiss, you feel an unusual spark sensation that causes your pulse to act like a small child having a sugar rush – jumping and screaming uncontrollably. I don't feel any of that for Bryce. I feel grateful to have him by my side and take care of me, if that counts for anything, but that's the most I can bring myself to feel.

Plus, like everyone else, when he said such wonderful things to me, it was hard to tell if he loved me for me, or if he only loved me because he felt compelled to follow the arranged marriage.

"Molly, are you listening to me?" Bryce asked when he noticed my dazed expression.

"Oh, s-sorry!" I apologized. "What did you say?"

He chuckled under his breath. "You're so easily distracted." He leaned in and kissed me like he has many times before and, disappointingly enough, like every other time, no spark.

A few more hours later, Mother and Father invited Bryce to stay for dinner while his parents went out to an art auction. Bryce's parents were really into fine arts.

"I have to say Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery," Bryce began to say while eating dinner with us. "I'm so used to having some type of meat in my meal that this feels rather strange."

Father smirked. "Well, you'll find more about this diet once you and Margaret are finally together. I admit, I might shed a tear when I give away my only daughter, my golden daughter."

Golden daughter? They over-exaggerate too much.

Bryce chuckled. "Don't you worry, sir! I'll take special good care of her!"

"I know you will," Mother said confidently.

My jaw clenched in annoyance. It was like they were talking about me while I wasn't there. I wanted to say what I really thought, but I stopped myself, afraid what I was going to say would be considered inappropriate or be disregarded. I lowered my eyes and quietly ate my food in silence instead.

Soon after dinner, my parents proposed that Bryce could stay the night here so that he could be around me more until he had to go back to school in two days.

Of course, he isn't allowed to stay with me in my room, though he's told me before that he wishes he could. Even if we are guaranteed to be wed, they were not going to let me be deflowered by anyone before marriage. That was the only rule Bryce was given by my parents.

He kissed me on the cheek good night and I wondered around my big, spacious bedroom, wondering if this was how a hamster felt in its cage. It was saddening. Though my room was decorated in a radiant gold and had plenty of furniture and gifts that I never bothered to even use because they were too impractical, it seemed dark and hallow in this room. It was the perfect place to magnify how alone and empty of purpose I was.

I knew that I always had Shelley to confined in, but sneaking around to talk to her was so unsatisfying. Sure, I felt happy and clear of pressure during the nights we talk, but what about the day? I couldn't see her freely during the day because, for all my parents knew, I don't know her more than just being the kitchen's head chef.

Also, I knew that someone in the room next to me loved me with all of his heart and I had parents that treasured me, but it wasn't enough for me to feel truly love; there was no warmth.

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><p><em>I walked and walked, seeing nothing but curtains of green leaves and long branches above me. Tall tree trunks surrounded me and a narrow dirt path, which I took out of curiosity.<em>

_At the end, there was an old bridge that had a big hole in the middle of it that prohibited me to cross it. I looked at what waited on the other side of the bridge and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a familiar white ship. I squinted my eyes to read the word written on the side of the ship._

"_Freedom?" I read aloud._

"_Run away to it," a withered voice said._

_I snapped my head around to see where it had come from, but all I saw was a giant grizzly bear. I searched frantically for a person and saw that I was alone. I hesitantly gazed at the bear that looked to be at least three times bigger than I was. _

"_Did you talk?" I asked._

"_Run away to it," the bear repeated._

"_But I can't! The bridge is damaged and I can't crossover!" I said in panic and fear._

_Suddenly, without warning, the bear ran away into the depths of the forest. I felt my panic escalade with each passing second and began to hyperventilate like a claustrophobic person in a tiny broom closet. I was trapped and convinced that it was hopeless to get to the white ship that I, for some reason, was becoming drawn more and more to. _

_I then heard twigs crunch and snap under the bear as if it took its sweet time walking back to me. I was relieved and even hugged its fur when it came back to the dirt path, not afraid or concerned that I was, in fact, hugging a grizzly bear with deadly sharp teeth and claws to catch prey._

_It nudged its head against my shoulder, telling me it was carrying something in its mouth. I grabbed what it was carrying and blinked in confusion. It was a small red box that was worn and rusty. I opened it and found a single hand-held hammer._

"_A hammer?"_

_The bear nodded._

"_What am I supposed to do with this?"_

"_Build your own bridge," it said as if it were so obvious._

"_B-But I don't know anything about building things! I don't know how to build a bridge! I think this is the first time I've ever held a hammer…"_

_The bear shook its head in pity. "Then you will be alone here for the rest of your life," it said, making my eyes widen in fear. "Run away to it."_

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><p>My eyes shot open and I pressed my hand against my chest to feel my racing heart beat. I felt a droplet fall onto my arm. I gasped when I realized I had a stream of tears on face. Jumping out of bed, I felt a weight on me that made me collapse to my knees. I felt weak and cursed the tears that refused to quit forming. I decided to stay there until the stream showed signs of drying up.<p>

I left my room and went down the marble stairs carefully, going down one step at a time and holding onto the gold railing for dear life.

After the last set of stairs, I went straight to the kitchen staff room where Shelley was already waiting.

She covered her mouth in horror and hurried to my side. "Molly! What happened? Are you hurt? You look a mess!"

I sniffled. "Talking…talking bear…"

Shelley furrowed her eyebrows. "Talking bear? Are you talking about one of your dreams? You saw another one?"

I shakily nodded my head. My lips and hands trembled. "Run away… Freedom…"

Shelley walked me over and sat me down in nearest chair and knelled down so that she could find some clue in my face. "Molly," she said in her firmest voice that gave a hint of the disturbed and worried reaction she was trying to hide. "What are you talking about? Speak to me, please."

"I…I have to run away…" I mumbled.

"R-Run away! Are you going crazy? If this is a joke, this isn't funny at all!"

I hysterically broke into tears again. "I-I have to leave or I'll be lonely for the rest of my life!"

Shelley didn't say anything. She still had shocked eyes that looked on the verge of joining my eyes in making waterfalls.

I wiped my cheeks, which didn't help much, for it only got wet again as soon as it became dry by my palm. "I need this… You were right! The dreams were trying to tell me something: I'm trapped here and I need to escape! I have to get out of here!"

Shelley swallowed and blinked a few tears. "You're…running away…" she whispered. "Are you completely sure? I mean, I've always thought you should run away from this prison, but now that you're actually considering this… The world is much different than a mansion! I don't want you to get hurt…"

I smiled weakly and held her hand in both of mine. "I've never felt so confident about anything in my life."

Shelley searched my eyes for any sign that I was lying and exhaled when she found nothing. "You're not leaving tonight… You're not prepared."

"Tomorrow night," I said eagerly.

"No, you and your parents are going to a dinner party tomorrow night."

"I can get out of it! I can pretend to have a fever!"

"No, that won't work. They're going to call the Dr. Evans to take a look at you right away and he's gonna tell, straight up, that you're faking!"

"I can convince him to go along with it!" I said desperately. "He owes me after I convinced Father not to replace him last month! Or I can make myself throw up!"

"Molly, do you realize how serious this is? They will hunt you down the second they find you missing! There's no turning back on what you're going to do!"

"I don't need to turn back. I'm doing the right thing. They won't find me," I said from my gut.

She took my word for it. "You better not try to negotiate with Dr. Evans. I know him, he's too serious about his job to do that. You best go with the throw up idea. I'll take responsibility for when they blame me for feeding you spoiled food."

I couldn't believe it was actually happening. I was going to be free at last. The thought made me want to laugh with glee.

"Damn it," Shelley said under her breath. "I better not get fired for this…"

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><p><strong>** I have some good news! Chase will make his first appearance next chapter! Yaaay! :D <strong>

**Thank you for reading and feel free to give me constructive criticism! I can't learn unless I know my mistakes! :) ****


	3. Run Away

**** LaeZ Nena: Yes, I try to give everyone in my stories some sort of happy ending...unless I'm writing a tragedy or something. I have Maya all figured out. Thank you for the suggestion!  
><strong>

**Anyways, here's the next chapter, guys! :D ****

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

I woke up the next morning just as the sun began peeked out its rays of light. I could barely sleep after my talk with Shelley, so I was very tired and unwilling to get out of bed. But who can sleep in my situation? I was too excited and jittery to focus on getting rest. My puffy eyes can't say I'm jittery anymore. But luckily, she will be "sick" all day, so she could make up for lost sleep during the day.

Shelley and I had everything planned for today. I am to wake up early in the morning and wait for Shelley to come and go over the plan once more with me. The plan for faking an illness, much to my displeasure, is to make myself throw up at the foot of my bed to make it seem like I immediately threw up after wakening. Thinking about doing it made me shiver, but I wanted it to be convincing for Dr. Evans. I mean, who wants to throw up in their own bed?

Shelley slipped in my room and sat with me on my bed. Her lips were pursed and she kept wiping her sweaty hands on her white apron. "I wanted to see you this early while your family isn't up to make sure that you really wanted to do this…"

"I'm sure," I said.

She scanned me with a defeated look. "Well, you'll need a disguise." She dug into her pocket and handed me a wad of bills. "Use this to buy a disguise and food. And don't just pull a huge blanket over yourself and call it a disguise like in the cartoons. I mean, do something bold. Understand?"

I nodded. "Got it."

"Have ya thought about what you're going to do when you're out? Ya can't just run forever. Eventually, you'll have to settle somewhere."

"I've thought about walking to towards the nearest train station and get off at a random place. Then, I guess, find a job somewhere. Mother and Father never let me get a job, on account of it being unnecessary, but it shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"It'll be hard for ya at first because of how you were raised, but it'll get easier the more you do it. You remember the plan, right?"

I tapped my noggin. "All in here!" I said proudly.

"You be safe, okay? And don't talk to weirdos! Oh, and don't forget to call my cell every once in a while! And remember to - "

She was interrupted by my giggle. "You worry like a mother. I'll be fine!"

She smiled, but it soon went away when she looked out of my window. "I should get back downstairs before someone finds out I'm up here."

After she left my room, I waited impatiently for an hour, pacing around my room, until I crawled back into my bed. I pointed my finger to mouth and hesitated from fear of disgust. But I wasn't going to throw the plan away only because what I was going to do was absolutely revolting.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth for my finger. My gag reflexes reacted and caused me to vomit in front of me. The fumes from it were repulsive and tempted me to vomit for real this time.

I called out for help and soon, my parents, Bryce, and a few maids rushed in to assist me. They removed my vomit ridden blanket and replaced it with a spare in my closet. Dr. Evans came shortly after my parents urgently called him in and examined me while the maids eyed him dreamily.

Although Dr. Evans is a very serious man, he was very young and handsome with his black hair combed neatly, his blue eyes, which revealed a unique ring of gold around his pupil if you look closely, and his creamy skin.

"Do you have a headache or any cramps?" he asked with his deep voice.

If I say yes, it might make me sound sicker! "Yes," I said, trying to make my speech sound as weak and tired as possible.

"Hmm," he hummed, standing up. "It would seem that you have a stomach flu. You aren't experiencing fever or diarrhea, so I would say this a mild case, though a stomach flu in itself isn't a serious case, just as long as you take care of it properly. I suggest that you stay in bed for a few days and make sure you drink water because you will become dehydrated."

Father petted my head. "This means you'll have to miss out on the dinner party tonight. I'm sorry, pumpkin."

I did it... I did it! It really worked!

"Do you want me to stay until you get better?" Bryce asked me, anxiety written all over his face. "I don't have to go today! I can skip a few days from school!"

Oh, no. He's going to ruin it!

"N-No! You heard the doctor; it's only minor, so there's nothing to worry about! And you've missed too many days already this year!" I said.

"She's right, Bryce," Mother said. "We're glad you're concerned, but your father will not be very pleased. You're welcome to stay until we leave for the dinner, but after will most certainly not give you enough time for the trip back."

I guess that works out conveniently…

Bryce stayed, but I didn't see very much of him because I slept most of the day to prepare for the upcoming night and to convincingly play my part as the sick girl.

I awoke to Bryce faintly tapping my shoulder. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked out the window; the clouds in the sky were colored pink from the falling sun. I glanced over and saw that Bryce was holding a tray of soup.

"Sorry to wake you. The maid said the head cook made it just in case you were feeling better," he informed me.

Thank you, Shelley.

"I am feeling better." I sipped the hot soup generously.

"I have to be leaving in a few minutes too, so I won't see you for a while," he said sadly.

If Bryce could say anything that would make me feel guilty about running away, it would be that. That has to be the best thing to say to give me second thoughts. He has no idea that he will never see me again. If he goes crazy at school, just imagine what this will do to him. And the wedding…

But I brushed that off my shoulders. I can't have second thoughts now. I need to be selfish for once.

I reached for his hand and he gave it to me. "Bryce…" I said softly. "Thank you for always taking care of me."

He grinned. "Aww, don't thank me! I want to do it!"

My parents then came into the room discreetly.

"I hope we are not interrupting anything, but your mother is here, Bryce," Mother said.

He turned back to me. "I have to go now. I'll see you soon, okay?"

I take it back. _That_ has to be the best thing for him to say to give me second thoughts. So much guilt was building up inside of me. It stung.

"Okay," I said to humor him.

He kissed my forehead and left, leaving me with my parents.

"We're about to leave now too. We wanted to let you know," Mother said.

"Get better for us. We don't like our golden daughter staying in bed all day," Father said.

This isn't right. I can't leave them like this. I need to say something to make them happy...anything. "Mother… Father…"

"Yes?" they asked in unison.

"I…love you," I forced, listening to how unsentimental and insincere my tone made the words.

They must have only heard the words and not listened because they were touched. That was the first time I ever told them that.

"Oh, we love you too, sweetie!" Mother said happily.

"Very much," Father added.

Am I just stupid to not feel the love? I must be because they say it so much. I don't feel the kind of warmth Shelley can make me feel.

"We have to go now, but we'll see you in the morning," Mother said.

"Goodbye..."

They left and I was by myself in my gold room. This is the last time I'll ever want to see the color. I picked up the bowl of soup and slurped down the rest of the broth.

I then noticed a folded piece of paper where the bowl was placed. I opened it curiously and read.

_Staff parking lot at 8pm._

That was only about half an hour away. I hastily opened my closet and dressed in the most ragged clothes I could find: a nice pair of blue jeans and a loose tee shirt I would normally wear for pajamas. I hid my hair in a purple beanie I like to wear in winter and didn't bother to put on any shoes because nobody would suspect me of going out without shoes. It was improbable for Margaret Amelia Rose Montgomery to be barefoot!

I stuffed a bag with more clothes that weren't too dressy - which wasn't a lot - a notebook, pen, hairbrush, a pair of scissors for protection since I didn't own a knife, and the crackers that came with my soup. I tucked the wad of money from Shelley in my jean pocket. I tiptoed to the bathroom, being very carefully that no one sees me, and grabbed my toothbrush, some toothpaste, and used the rest of what was left of my mouthwash. I rinsed out the bottle, filled it up with water, and put that in my bag too. When I was finished, it was almost time to meet Shelley in the parking lot.

I, again, made sure no one saw me when I took the elevator down to the first floor. For once, the thing could be necessary. I took the back door outside and sneaked around the back of the house to the parking lot.

I searched for Shelley inside one of the cars and found her inside a small, white car. I ran quickly and got inside the passenger seat.

"Why did you want to meet me here?" I asked.

"There's only one way out of this property and that's through the front gate. Do you really think you could've just walked out without the guards seeing you?"

I shrugged. "I sneaked out of the mansion without anyone seeing me."

"Well, you can't do that here!" She pointed her thumb to the back seat. "There's a blanket back there. Get back there and cover yourself with it. I doubt they'll stop me to search my car because I go through those gates all the time for my grocery runs, but that doesn't mean they won't look inside the windows. I can't take you very far because if I'm gone for too long, they'll put together that I have something to do with your disappearance, but I'll take you as far as I can to a store."

We drove in silence for about twenty minutes until we stopped in front of a grocery store.

"Molly, for the last time, are you sure you want to do this? I can rent an apartment for you instead of you just walking aimlessly on the road!"

"No!" I snapped. "I can't involve you anymore than you already are! I'll be fine, I promise!"

She took a good look at me, capturing one more picture of me into her memory. She snatched me into a hug. "Call me as soon as you settle somewhere."

I closed my eyes when I felt my heart melt. Her hug was warm and made me feel…special. It made me sad that I was leaving her behind, but I know we'll find each other again someday. Someday, she'll see me with clothes that don't have a speck of gold on them, without professionally done make-up, without designer's clothes and priceless jewelry. No, she'll see me with dirty clothes that might even have a hole in them, a clean face that hasn't seen make-up in ages, a true grin and not a forced one.

I watched as her car pulled out and onto the road back to the mansion, focusing on the red taillights that got smaller and dimmer the father she drove away. When the red disappeared, I walked into the store.

Walking through the aisles, I scanned the shelves for something I could use for a disguise when I found the perfect thing to throw everyone off: brown hair dye. I paid for it and went straight to the store's bathroom, locked it, and followed the boxes instructions. I grew impatient while I let the dye set into my hair, and I anxiously rinsed my hair in the sink when the time was up.

My hair was still wet, which always makes blond hair seem darker, but I could tell that this time, it was especially dark. I wish I had brought a blow dryer with me so that I could really see the results!

I left the bathroom and, after buying a few food rations, I started walking east towards the coastline where there was a town that I knew had a train system. It would normally take half an hour to get there from the mansion, so if I was about twenty minutes away from the mansion, that means I'm ten minutes from the coastline. But ten minutes in a car probably equaled an hour on foot…

Even though the idea was discouraging, I walked anyways, nibbling on some crackers and peanut butter as I went. I have never walked this much in my entire life… Watching cars zoom right by me and honk at me didn't make me feel better either.

I was wrong. It didn't take an hour to get there. It took an hour and a half. Imagine my sense of accomplishment the second I walked into the beach town by myself in wonder.

Excited as I was, I was tired from the walk and needed sleep, but before I could do that, I needed to see my hair now that it was dry. I used a restaurant's restroom and gazed at my reflection.

There was no hint of gold in my strands. I felt my naturally wavy hair to make sure it was real, but something disturbed me: the length of my hair. My hair was still long and I still looked like Margaret Amelia Rose Montgomery. I grabbed my scissors out of my bag and the end of my hair in my other hand. Then, I began cutting and sniping away the long hair my family adored. I felt a rush when I cut it and when I stopped, my hair, which was down to the middle of my back, was now just below my ears. Now, if someone said my hair was beautiful, I would believe them.

I didn't look like Margaret Amelia Rose Montgomery anymore. I looked like me, Molly. I cried when I saw how beautiful I looked.

I didn't want to leave the mirror's sight, but I had to. Since the train station wasn't open so late at night, I had to find a reasonable place to sleep for the night. I walked along the shore and past several beach houses when something next to the water caught my eye. In the night, it looked like a black blob, so I got a closer look. I gasped and stumbled until I fell when my eyes caught up to what it was.

It was a white ship with a blue stripe on its body, the white ship I saw in one of my dreams. I had to have been in another dream, but when I closed my eyes and looked again, it was still there. The ramp was still on the dock and I checked for people before I sneaked on board. I went to the deck and used a tarp I found as a blanket and my bag as a pillow. Next thing I knew, my eyes closed eagerly for sleep.

When I awoke, I was surprised to not remember any dreams. I sat up and rubbed my stiff neck. I must have slept on it wrong. That's when I realized I was in a bed, not on the ship's deck. I had a blanket over me, not a tarp. I had a pillow under my head and my bag was on the hardwood floor beside the bed. Someone must've found me.

I shuffled out of the bedroom door and ended up outside on the other side of the ship. The sun was warm on my skin, the blue sea sparkled from the sun's rays, and seagulls flew in the air, cawing to each other playfully. I turned my head in every direction in amazement, but it fell short when something didn't look right. The ship was moving.

"Oh, Goddess, the train station! How am I going to get there now when this thing is moving away from it?" I panicked. I ran to the ship's stern and only saw water. No land. "Oh, no, I can't see the shore! I don't know where I am! This wasn't supposed to happen!" I cried, grabbing my head.

"Well, someone finally opened their eyes!" I heard a worn out voice yell. I followed where I thought I heard the voice come from and found the source at the ship's bow. It was an old man with white hair and a pipe in his mouth.

"I found you sleeping here an hour after set sailing and couldn't bring myself to waking you, so I put you in a spare bed I've got! You sure know how to sleep! I hope you don't think I kidnapped you," he said like he was talking to an old friend.

"N-No, sir, I don't! H-How long was I out?" I asked, afraid to even know.

"Well, you spent that night here, were out all day yesterday, and it's almost afternoon today. Put that together and you've got close to three days of sleep on your shoulders!"

"THREE DAYS?" I can't believe this…

The man laughed heartily. "That's right, missy! You must've been exhausted and I'm sure you must be starving, so get ready to eat because we're about to reach our destination!"

"W-Where is this boat going?" I asked him.

"Castanet Island, a wonderful place! I thought that since you slept here you don't have a home of your own. I thought I'd bring you along, give you a place to sleep, and treat you to a meal while I'm at it!"

"Oh, you've been so kind to me! Thank you!" I said graciously. "I'll pay you for what you've done for me right away!"

He gave a jolly laugh again. "No need to pay me! All I'd like is a name, missy!"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry! I haven't even said my name! How rude of me!" I bowed politely. "I'm Molly. Molly…" Oh, no. I haven't thought of a last name yet. Think, Molly, think! "Molly R-Rose!" I spat out. Hopefully using one of my middle names won't give someone a clue as to who I am. "It's a pleasure to met you, sir."

"You sure are polite one! It's nice to meet you. I'm Pascal, captain of this ship." He pointed forward. "See that speck of land? That's the island!"

The speck of land quickly got bigger and before I knew it, we had docked there and I was walking on the pier with Pascal towards the island's town, my bag with me on my shoulder.

"This is Harmonica Town! You'll meet some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet right in this little place!" Pascal declared.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Brass Bar! It should just be opening about now. I hope you're hungry because they've got a good chef on their hands!"

I smiled. I was really hungry from, apparently, not eating for almost three days. My stomach growled and demanded food at once.

Walking into Brass Bar, we were greeted by a girl about my age with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and narrow green eyes. "Hiya, Pascal!" she said. "Who's your friend here?" She smiled friendlily to me.

"This is Molly. I met her on my way back here," Pascal said.

The girl shook my hand swiftly. "Nice to meet ya, Molly! I'm Kathy, the waitress here! Have a seat, guys!"

Pascal led me to me to the bar stools where he chattered and introduced me to the bar owner, Hayden, who turned out to be Kathy's father.

I leaned over to Pascal. "You're right. People really are friendly here," I murmured to him.

A skinny boy with messy, peachy, blond hair, perhaps a year or two older than me, came in front of Pascal and I from the opposite side of the bar. "What'll it be, Pascal?" he asked, notebook and pen ready in his hand.

"Wait, I thought Kathy was the waitress here," I spoke up. "Are you a waiter too?"

"I'm not a waiter," he said coldly, making me flinch. "I'm the chef here, but because you're sitting right in front of my kitchen, I can just take the order myself."

"Oh, s-sorry…" I said.

He furrowed his eyebrows at my apology. "Whatever. Again, what'll it be?"

"I'll get the marinated fish," Pascal ordered. "You should try it! It's one of my favorites here!" Pascal said to me.

"Oh, I can't. I'm vegetarian," I admitted.

The chef gave me a cold look. "You're joking, right?"

I shrunk in my chair. "N-No…"

"Great, go without eating some of the best tasting foods out there! What a way to live your life!"

When he said this, it reminded me of Shelley and how frustrated she got over my family's vegetarian diet.

"Chase, quit being so rude to the customers!" Kathy scolded him from across the room.

He shot a dagger at her with his violet eyes before turning back to me. "Sorry," he said with a bite of sarcasm. "What do you want instead? Salad? Mashed potatoes? Meuniere? Oh, that's right, you don't eat fish! Sheesh!"

"Ahh, I'm sorry!" I said, hiding my face in my palms.

He just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Feeling intimidated, I ordered something that seemed simple to make, like mushroom soup, so that I wasn't more of a burden than I already was. Say what you want about this moody chef, but that was one of the best soups I've ever had, maybe even better than Shelley's soup.

After, Pascal showed me to Ocarina Inn, where I'll be sleeping while Pascal stays at the local Fishery. Everyone that ran the Inn was very welcoming and let me stay for free. Even when I offered to pay for my night anyway, they wouldn't accept my money. They were just happy to have a new face around.

Lying in bed, I thought about everything that had happened to me and all of the people I've meet in only a day. Their warmth reminded me of Shelley and how she treated me. Their friendliness didn't seem fake or forced at all.

Though I can't connect the word "friendliness" with that chef. I've never been treated like that before. It was intimidating, yet it was very refreshing to be around someone that would talk to me in such a manner. It promised me that he wasn't pretending to like me. He's different from anyone I've ever met.

* * *

><p><strong>** Yeah, Chase is a real meanie! :P <strong>

**Thank you so much everyone for reading and reviewing! If you have any suggestions for future chapters that will fit what I have planned, I will be happy to take them! :) **  
><strong>


	4. Me Own a Farm?

**** I don't believe I have anything to say, so here's the next chapter! ****

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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

_I stood on a platform before an old, wrinkly woman. She was hemming a gold, flashy, one shoulder dress I was wearing. Her tired, fragile hands worked and worked expertly. It broke my heart to look down and see her work so willingly while her hands looked so close from snapping. _

_I reached down to gently halt her hands and help her off the floor. She gazed at me with surprise and questioned my motives. When she discovered I wanted her to stop, she bowed with gratitude and gifted me her withered smile. _

_The feeling, knowing that I stopped her hurt, felt overwhelmingly great. I stepped off the platform to look at myself in the mirror. My long, gold hair complimented the dress, but it didn't feel comfortable. _

_Then, like magic, a thick fog surrounded my body and began twisting like a tornado with me in its eye. I couldn't see anything, save the wild twister. Suddenly, the tornado vanished and allowed me to see into the mirror again._

_My eyes widened when I saw myself in a simple, blue sundress, and my hair brown and short. I grinned, seeing my teeth appear in my smile genuinely for the first time._

* * *

><p>My eyelids gradually lifted as I heard light knocks on the door.<p>

That had to be one of my favorite dreams so far.

I got out of bed and opened the door to see a beaming girl about my age with a poofy, pink dress and orange-blond hair.

"Oh, good, you're awake! Come on!" she exclaimed, dragging me by my hand. "Granny made you breakfast, so you better eat it before I do!"

She showed me to the front room where a table was covered with piping hot dishes.

"I-Is this all for me?" I asked, my eyes bulging out of my eye sockets.

She giggled. "Yep! Granny didn't know what you liked, so she made everything!"

I sat down at the table of food. "I don't know where to start," I said with a laugh.

The girl sat down next to me. "Just dig in! And don't worry, I'll help you eat it all!" she said, getting her fork and knife ready in her hands.

"Thank you…um…"

"Oh, right! I'm Maya! My family runs this joint. Nice to meet you, Molly!"

"Y-You know my name?" I inquired in surprise.

She scratched her head and laughed guiltily. "Yeah, I sort of overheard when Pascal was signing you in, but never mind that! Until he comes to pick you up, we can hang out here and stuff, but first, let's eat!" she said enthusiastically. "Try the pancakes! Granny makes them especially yummy!"

She was right. They were so fluffy and sweet that it was easy for me to finish the whole plate, much to Maya's disappointment, and move onto the scrambled eggs and toast.

"Hey," she began in almost a whining voice, "why aren't you trying the bacon, or the sausage, or what about the biscuits n' gravy?"

I'm going be exhausted by the time I tell everyone. "Oh, I'm a vegetarian, so I don't eat meat," I explained.

Disappointment flowed in her question. "So…you can't eat bacon?"

I shook my head.

"But what about the biscuits? Last time I checked, biscuits aren't meat!" she argued.

I sighed. "It's not the biscuits I can't eat; it's the gravy... There are little sausage chunks in it and it has already been added to the biscuits, so..."

Maya leaned in dramatically and unnecessarily as if she had poor eyesight to examine the gravy. "Holy brown cow, you're right! I feel so bad for you, Molly!"

"Why?"

She rubbed her stomach as she spoke. "Because you haven't tried the yummiest foods! That's horrible! I don't know how you can control yourself from not eating the bacon, though!

What she said made me think of the moody chef from last night. She basically said the same thing as he did, but she didn't say it out of frustration like he did, but instead with sympathy and child-like interest.

After watching Maya eat the rest of the food I didn't eat, which was definitely a sight to see, she showed me to the bathroom where I could finally take a hot shower. I didn't realize how dirty I felt until I was finished.

I groaned when I couldn't find anything to wear that wasn't casual or pajamas in my bag, so I had to wear a short, but frilly, floral print dress with lacey sleeves on my shoulders, the closest to casual I could find. The next thing I buy will definitely be clothes that don't make me look like I'm planning to attend an important dinner.

"Molly, you look so nice!" Maya said when she saw me in my dress. "Come on! Pascal is here and waiting for you!"

She dragged me, once again, to the front room where Pascal was sitting at a table, talking to a pink haired woman.

"Look, Granny! Doesn't she look cute?" Maya said to the woman.

"Yes, she sure looks lovely!" the woman replied.

I turned my head the other way, not liking the extra attention the dress was giving me. "Pascal, are you taking me back to the mainland?" I asked him.

"Not exactly. I thought I'd take you to meet the mayor today," he said. He looked down at my feet and chuckled. "Did you forget your shoes, missy?"

Oh, no! I forgot that I didn't grab any shoes when I packed. "Oh, w-well, you see, I don't have any shoes…" I admitted shamefully.

"That's okay!" Maya shrilled. "You can borrow a pair of mine! Your feet look small enough for mine!"

"That's kind of you, Maya, but there's no need for that. Sonata Tailoring is on the way, so we can pick up her own pair there," Pascal said.

I gasped. "Oh, I can't let you buy me shoes! It's too unnecessary! I can pay, see?" I showed him the money I pulled out of my bag.

He laughed heartily and insisted that I let him do something nice for me since I am "homeless", even after I protested again. At Sonata Tailoring, I picked out the plainest and cheapest pair of sneakers I saw, but when Pascal interfered, I decided on a slightly nicer pair of white sandals.

When at Town Hall, we walked up to the front desk to a bored, platinum blond haired boy that dressed very similar to boys I've seen at dinner parties back when I lived in the mansion. Just thinking about how similar he looked to some of those rich boys made me fearful that he was in fact one of them and recognized me.

He looked over me skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "_This _is the homeless girl? I didn't know homeless people could afford to buy nice clothes."

My body stiffened. This is so bad. Just one look and he is already suspicious of me! Quick, think of an excuse! "I…I had this before I became homeless." Good save, Molly!

Judging from his doubtful expression and narrowing eyes, I would say he didn't buy it, but dismissed me for now. "My father is waiting in the back for you two," he said, looking back into a book he was reading before.

We walked past him and I noticed him sneaking a quick glance over to me from the corner of his eye. I gulped hard. That look gave me shivers of fear and panic. That boy is smarter and quicker than the others. I have to be more careful around this boy, keep my distance; otherwise, he'll find out who I am.

Pascal and I went into an office and saw an extremely short, plump, gray haired man. He flailed his arms in the air and run up to give me a hug. It was then that I realized just how short he was in comparison to me; he was at least five inches to a foot shorter than I was. To think I already thought I was short!

He let go of me and took a few steps back. "Is this the wonderful Molly I've heard about?" he animatedly asked with an optimistic grin.

I nearly fell over from bewilderment. It's like he is the complete opposite of the boy in the other room!

"Oh, y-yes," I said, bowing with respect. "I'm Molly…Rose."

"Oooh, a shy one, and so polite too! I'm Mayor Hamilton!" he introduced with a laugh. "Come, please, have a seat!" He showed us to two seats in front of his desk. He climbed into his too big chair. "You seem more than perfect to run the farm!"

He caught me off guard with that last sentence. "E-Excuse me?"

"I told him about you're position," Pascal started. "He's prepared to let you run an abandoned farm not too far from Harmonica Town to give you a place to stay and also a way you can make a living. It would really help out the town if you did it too."

"Me own a farm?" I said shakily. "B-But I don't know anything about farming! I couldn't possibly…"

"That's fine!" Mayor Hamilton said cheerfully. "Our currently residents in Flute Fields will be more than happy to help you along the way!"

"This is all happening so fast!" I said, half from amazement and the other half from shock. "I mean, this is so generous of you to think of trusting me with an entire farm! But I don't know…"

The whole point of going to that beach town was to get on that train and get off far from home. Then, all of this happened… What if they find out who I am? Well, I guess I would have to worry about that wherever I go.

"Pascal? How far would you say this island is from the mainland?" I asked quietly.

He looked at me with confusion as to how that was relevant, but he answered anyways. "Hmm, I'd say a good thousand miles at least."

That is pretty far... I can't imagine anyone thinking of looking for me on an island a thousand miles away.

"Okay, I'll do it," I declared.

The mayor beamed. "Excellent, excellent, excellent! Let us show you to the farm!"

The farm was beat up with its faded paint and missing pieces of roof on the house, barn, and chicken coop. I gazed at it with doubt.

The mayor must have noticed and said, "It's a fixer-upper, but I can call the Carpentry to fix up that roof when I get back to Town Hall. Until they're finished, I'll arrange for you to stay at the Inn."

After the tour of the farm, I asked Mayor Hamilton and Pascal to leave me there, assuring them that I knew my way back to town. I wondered around the property, inhaling the fresh air and listening to how quiet it was around me. It was so peaceful that I was confident that I could fall asleep in the grass below me.

I eventually walked back to town and stopped by Sonata Tailoring to buy some new clothes and a pair of brown boots I plan to use while working on the farm. After that, I noticed that the day was already almost over, though it seemed so short. Feeling hungry, I walked next door to the Brass Bar with three bags in hand – two shopping bags and the brown bag full of my belongings I carried all day, thinking that I would eventually leave the island for the mainland.

The place was empty except for a buff redhead that Kathy was busy talking to. Not knowing where else to sit, I sat at the bar where Pascal and I sat last night, in front of the moody chef.

His back was turned to me while he poured soup from a pot into a bowl and set it on a tray beside him.

"Kathy!" he called for her to pick up the food.

She came and recognized me. "Oh, hey, I didn't see you there! Welcome!" she said and walked back to the redhead with the tray.

The chef turned around to see whom she was talking to and saw me. "Oh, it's just you…"

I nervously laughed, bracing myself for whatever mean thing he would say to me. "Yeah, just me!"

He shot an amused look towards my overly dressed attire. "What's with the dress? You go to a wedding?

I hung my head shamefully. Stupid dress. "No…"

He was puzzled as to why what he said upset me so much, but he decided that it wasn't very important and brushed it aside. "Anyways, listen. Sorry about last night. I'll admit that I was pretty rude to you."

My head sprung up to look him in the face. He is…apologizing? Maybe I was wrong! Maybe he isn't a moody chef like I thought. Maybe he was only in a bad mood or something last night!

"But if you were smart, you wouldn't be telling me you're vegetarian in the first place!" He continued, now shouting.

Or maybe not! "Ahh, I-I'm sorry!" I uttered, not knowing what else to say.

"Sorry? For what?"

"For…saying I was vegetarian?" Saying it made it seem even more ridiculous than I initially thought.

"That's a stupid thing to apologize for. And I wasn't looking for an apology anyways."

"Oh, sorry…"

He narrowed his eyes. "You say 'sorry' a lot. You said it for stupid things last night too."

"Sorry… Oh, wait!" I covered my mouth. "I didn't mean that!" I said, my words being muffled from my hands.

He laughed under his breath. "I'm Chase, by the way."

Chase… Why did that name sound so familiar? Oh, that's right! That's what Kathy called him last night! "I'm Molly," I said with a bigger smile than I wanted.

He nodded. "Well, did you come here to eat or just apologize for nothing?"

"Eat!" I sang, still holding onto my smile.

He smirked. "Okay, then. What do you feel like eating? It doesn't have to be off of the menu. I've been itching to cook something other than soup and fish."

I took a moment to think of something I really liked until I thought of my favorite dish. "Can you make vegetable stir fry?"

He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. "Hmm, I guess a veggie can eat some good food."

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><p><strong>** The next chapter will be up sometime later this week, so sit tight! :) **<strong>


	5. My New Life

**** Honestly, I didn't proof-read this, so I hope there aren't very many mistakes! :S ****

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><p><span>Chapter 5<span>

After spending two more nights at Ocarina Inn, the innkeeper, Maya's mother, Colleen, informed me that the carpenters will be finished with the repairs on the farm in the morning today.

Carrying my stuff with me, I went to the farm at about eight o'clock and saw two boys sitting on the house's roof.

I didn't want to be here and bother them while they were working. I began to slowly back away, but the boy with blue hair noticed me and started waving hyperactively.

"Hey, new girl!" he called to me. Not bothering to use the ladder, he slid his way off the roof dangerously, yet expertly, and ran to me while the younger blond boy used the ladder to get down. "What's up, new girl?" the blue haired boy asked me, now that he was in front of me.

"Oh, f-fine, thank you," I answered with my usual stutter. "I came to see if the place was finished. I'm sorry for interrupting your work…"

"Nah, it's cool! We just got done," he said with a large grin.

"Oh, that's great. Thank you so much!"

"I'm Luke! That's Bo!" he gestured to blond boy that was making his way to us. "What's your name, new girl?"

I smiled and bowed. "Oh, nice to meet you, Luke. I'm Molly."

"Nice to meet ya!" he said energetically.

"Nice to meet you, Molly," Bo said. "Didn't Boss say we have to go back as soon as we finish?" he asked Luke.

"Aww, don't be such a goody-goody!" he complained. "I'm talking to my new friend!"

Bo sighed. He must be very patient when it comes to Luke.

"C'mon, Molly! I'll show you what we did to the inside!" Luke said, pulling me along.

The inside didn't give any hint of ever being in bad condition. The floors were swept and clean, the beige wallpaper looked freshly applied, and there were chairs, a table, a red toolbox, kitchen counters with mixer and cutting board, and a bed with a light green bedspread.

"You guys did all this in two day?" I asked in awe, my eyes glistening in gratefulness.

Luke grinned. "Sure did! Everyone in Garmon Mines helped out! The General Store gave you the kitchen stuff, my buddy, Owen, and his gramps at the Blacksmith's made the tools in the toolbox, Bo made all of the furniture, and I did the floors and walls. Pops took care of the barn and coop's roof yesterday."

"Who is Pops?"

"That's what Luke calls his father. He's our boss. We're only his apprentices," Bo explained.

"You should meet him!" Luke proposed loudly.

"Well, actually, I was planning on going to the farms in Flute Fields to get some tips on farming and such," I said, waving my hands in front of me.

"Aww, man!" Luke whined.

I felt a pang of guilt for disappointment and gasped. "Oh, but maybe I can meet him some other time!" I offered frantically, hoping it would make him feel better.

Luke's yellow cat-like eyes lit up. He punched the air above him in victory. "Awesome!" he cheered. "Pops'll be pumped for sure!"

I soon said farewell to the carpenters, whom took an elaborate trail northwest of the farm, which I'm assuming is the way back to Garmon Mines.

I started off to Flute Fields with the guidance of Colleen's drawn map she gave me this morning. Crossing the river, I turned to my left to see the outside of a piney green forest – Fugue Forest - and a ranch in the distance with several animals grazing on the property close to a large windmill – Horn Ranch. I turned back forward to a small house with an orange roof in the distance next to an even larger building with a vast field of crops in its scenery. According to Colleen's map, the larger building was Marimba Farm. I went there, thinking it seemed like a good place to start.

Entering the building, I saw crates of fruits and vegetables in front of a counter. Behind the counter was a tense, brunette woman with her hair tucked behind her ears. She automatically took me as the new farmer, gave me a free bag of turnip seeds, and introduced herself as Ruth. She explained that growing turnips would be the best thing right now because spring is almost over and they don't take long to grow.

I asked questions about how to take of the crops and land, but she merely sighed and handed me off to her husband, Craig. Craig, along with his and Ruth's daughter, Anissa, showed me how to plow the soil with a hoe, how to use a sickle, how to sow the land, and told me how to take care of my crops until they are ready for harvest. If I knew I would have to memorize so much, I would have brought pen and paper to take notes on. I felt so uneducated when they showed me everything, but I was glad that I at least already knew how to use a watering can.

Unknowingly, I spent three hours being taught how to farm and I could not have been anymore tired from plowing the land. After I was offered a refreshing drink, I returned to my farm and planted my new turnip seeds.

I was so excited to harvest the turnips that I actually watched the soil in hopes of witnessing it sprout in a matter of minutes. Of course, nothing happened, but I was still in good spirits and it carried with me for the rest of the day when I went to Brass Bar again for dinner.

There was something about having a huge grin and giggling uncontrollably from the exploding happiness that I couldn't resist.

"Someone's in a good mood today," Chase commented, chopping vegetables for my meal.

"You bet I am," I said, only smiling wider. "My farm is finished being fixed and I planted my very first set of crops today! Oh, I don't think I ever told you the mayor gave me the abandoned farm outside of town. Isn't this amazing! Now, I officially live here!" I shrilled.

His eyebrows deepened slightly and he smirked. "Yeah, I heard about you taking over that place. It's been the talk of the island," he said much calmer in comparison to my shrill excitement.

"Not that I didn't like staying at Ocarina Inn with Maya and her family, but I think I'm going to like living alone in my own house."

He stopped chopping the vegetables and shot a look at me over his shoulders. "You've met Maya?"

"Yes. I talked to her while I was there and she would call the two days I stayed 'super-dooper fun slumber parties'."

Chase grunted. "I'm sorry you had to endure that."

"N-No, it wasn't so bad! I mean, to be honest, it got on my nerves a little when she practically cried because I wouldn't let her give me a dumb makeover, so I eventually let her paint my nails so that she would stop." I showed him my pink fingernails as proof. "I'm getting the impression that you don't like her. Do you know her?"

"Unfortunately, yes. She's had a stupid little crush on me ever since I came to this island to study under her grandmother. She's just an annoying little pest," he said coldly.

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Whatever I say to her, she'll just cry and be mad at me, then forget about it the next day."

"Chase!" Kathy called as she made her way in our direction. "I need another bowl of mushroom soup."

"You better be making that brute pay for his food. I don't work here for free, you know."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, calm yourself. He pays for everything!" She blinked at me when she noticed my presence and quickly turned her mood around with a smile. "Hi, Molly! Ya sure are becoming a real regular around here! Sorry, you have to talk to this happy ball of sunshine," she laughed, nodding her head at Chase. "That happy smile of his must be blinding, huh?"

Chase folded his arms. "Oh, haha, you're sooo funny," he retorted in sarcasm.

Kathy ignored his remark and only paid her attention to me. "Hey, do you want to come sit with us over there?" she asked, pointing to a table where the same redhead from the other night was sitting. "I'm sure he won't mind at all. He loves meeting new people!"

Chase's eyes slid slowly from Kathy to me. I might just need my eyes checked, but I could have sworn he looked disappointed when he looked at me, like he was almost sad that I was going to leave him to join Kathy and the redhead. I was, honestly, surprised.

"Actually," I began, "I think I'd like to stay sitting here tonight. But maybe I can sit with you and your friend next time I come here," I suggested. "Is that okay?"

She blinked. "Of course, that's fine. Are you sure you don't want to join us tonight? I promise my friend isn't a grouch like a certain chef I know."

"You're not exactly tranquil yourself," Chase remarked.

I laughed at how much they fought like siblings. "I'm okay, really. Chase isn't so bad to talk to."

Chase's eyes softened. Kathy looked back and forth between us before smiling mischievously. "If you say so. Have fun you two!" she said, prancing back to her table with a schoolgirl giggle, leaving me oblivious to her amusement.

"Ridiculous," Chase muttered to himself.

"So, who is her friend?" I asked. "I saw her with him the other night too."

"That's Owen, her boyfriend. They've been going out for almost a year now. Here," he said, placing the salad I ordered earlier in front of me.

I nodded in appreciation. "Owen? I think a boy I met this morning mentioned him being his friend."

Chase turned his back to begin cooking the soup ordered by Kathy. "I'm guessing you're talking about Luke."

"Yeah, the one with blue hair and bandana over his head," I confirmed.

Chase sighed and shook his head at me in pity. "So, you've met Maya and now Luke… Congratulations, you're in Hell."

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><p><strong>** Thanks for reading! Any ideas you would like to see? Let me know. :) **<strong>


	6. Perceptive Suspicions

**** I wrote most of this last night and finished it today while I WASN'T working on my summer assignments for school. I'm so screwed now because school starts on Monday I'm not even close to finishing. :S Oops! Soo, I'll be cramming for the next two days. I guess that's what I get for procrastinating! Dx **  
><strong>

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><p><span>Chapter 6<span>

The sun gave me no clemency as I watered my turnip plants in the heat. I've only been out for maybe five minutes and I was already feeling sweat droplets roll down my skin. There was no doubt now that the summer season will officially start in three more days, though the triple digit temperature I seemed to be feeling now would make anyone think it was the middle of summer.

Only ten minutes later, as I continued to water my turnips, did I see a shadow behind me grow larger and taller. I could only suspect it to be a person, so I turned around to see who was visiting me.

It was the boy I met at Town Hall a few days ago. He looked at me with the same bored expression that he had last time and held a clipboard and pen in his hands.

I gulped, still wary of the boy and his perceptive suspicions of me, but I tried my best to show no signs of it; if I don't look suspicious, he won't think I'm suspicious and not even consider investigating me.

"Can I help you?" I asked, staying composed.

"Yes," he replied. "My father sent me here to get the name of the farm from you so that we can enter it in the files."

"Name of the farm?"

He sighed exasperatedly. "For example: _Horn _Ranch and _Marimba_ Farm." He looked down to his clipboard and prepared to write.

I mouthed an "Oh" when I got what he meant. "Well…I never gave it much thought…"

His eyes glazed up to me with a mixture of annoyance and, like always, boredom. "Very well, then," he said, obviously trying not to exhibit his annoyance towards me. "You may come by Town Hall sometime this week and let us know. I'll still need to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

The way he talked bugged me slightly. He spoke politely and somewhat calmly, but at the same time, I could tell that he was holding back his irritation from me by the look on his face. I could only imagine that he was trying to be polite because he was on the job and would most likely be scolded by his father if he said something rude to me, though it seemed a little unrealistic to imagine the mayor scolding or being serious at all.

"O-Okay," I said, breaking my calm composure when thinking about answering personal questions to him.

He took an observant notice at my nervous stutter and began. "First question, where are you from?"

I knew they would be personal; it would only be a matter of time before people would ask me these kinds of questions, so I might as well make up a good background story now. It'll be okay as long as I make it convincing and not give too many details that I'll have to remember. I just need to remember everything I tell him so that I keep the story straight with everyone. So far that people around here know about me is that I was homeless before I wondered onto Pascal's boat at that beach town and I owned a dress.

"Well," I started, "I didn't stay in one place for very long while I was homeless, so I can't exactly say."

"How about before you were homeless?" he inquired.

I put on my best ashamed face. "I don't remember very well… It was years ago when I first started living on the streets, but I do remember it was a very big city," I said, knowing that he would have more difficulty trying to figure out who I am if I said I was from a big city, where thousands, even millions, of different faces were.

"Years ago, you say? Amazing how you can still fit into that dress you claimed to own before you became homeless."

Crap. "W-Well, I haven't grown any taller since then and I've lost a lot of weight when I stated living on the streets, which explains why it's not too small…" I tried. When I replayed it in my head, it seemed like a nice explanation to make up on the spot. And apparently it was because the boy only gave a "Hmph" in response.

The boy wrote, what I can only assume was what I said, in his clipboard. "Age and birthday?"

"I'll be eighteen on the thirteenth of summer," I said automatically, but then gasped softly when I realized I had just given my _real_ birthday.

He narrowed his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

I quickly broke into a nervous chuckle and waved my hand. "N-No! I was just realizing how little time I had left until my birthday! Time sure flies by, huh?"

"Indeed," he said with a grunt. He wrote in his clipboard for exactly twenty seconds, an excessive amount of time to simply write down a birthday. I grew anxious as to what he was really writing and began squeezing my hands. "Where do your parents or any living relatives reside and how may I contact them?"

"My parents…died years ago and I have no other family that I know of."

"And how did you become homeless?"

I hesitated. His questions were getting deeper into my background and made me feel uncomfortable about answering. Would it really make a difference if I were homeless because my parents went bankrupt or for any other reason? How would this be relevant in me living here? "Umm… Do you really need to know this information for me to live here?" I asked.

He sighed and looked at me hard with his icy eyes. "Okay, I'm not going to beat around the bush with this," he firmly said. "I don't buy that you really were homeless or if you really are who you say you are. Even if you had it before you were 'homeless', someone living and begging on the streets wouldn't hang on to a dress that looks like it was made from an expensive brand name. A homeless person would sell it for money to live on. By the way, the fabric on that dress was still very white when I saw it three days ago. How could it possibly stay so bright if you were, in fact, living on the streets? Unless, you recently bought it, which would be improbable because you claim that you lived on the streets, meaning you would not think or be able to afford to buy that dress."

I was speechless. He concluded to all of this after one look at me in that dress. One careless mistake and he found me out. He doesn't know who I am, but he deduced that my homelessness wasn't true by one look of me. This boy could end up making me go back home. I feared this boy.

"Hey, Molly!" I suddenly heard a familiar voice cry out from out of nowhere. I looked past the boy with widened eyes and saw Kathy, who was riding on a horse towards me. She threw a curious glance over at the boy's way. "Strange seeing you not cooped up in Town Hall working," she said to him.

He rolled his eyes. "I am working." He looked back at me. "We'll discuss this at another time. I hope you're enjoying your stay at Castanet," he said and walked off.

Seeing him leave could only make me exhale in such a relief that made me want to cry.

Kathy furrowed her eyebrows in concern. "Molly, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I looked up to Kathy and nodded. "Y-Yeah, I-I'm fine…" I said, not able to control my stammer, much to my disdain.

She looked back at the boy who was walking further and further away and shot a death glare at his back. "Did he say something to hurt your feelings, Molly? Don't listen to him! Gill can be like that, but he can be nice too if you get to know him better. You'll see! He just really cares about this island. I bet he probably feels threatened by you since you're a newcomer and all!" she said to me feel better.

"G-Gill?"

"Yeah, that's his name."

I guess I'm never going to see the nice side of Gill because I don't plan to ever get to know him. He's too dangerous. Now, I have seen two people that didn't exactly give me a warm welcome: Chase and Gill. These are the only two people that have ever treated me like this, though they treated me very differently from each other.

Chase reacted hostile and rude from the beginning when I first met him. He intimidated me, but at least he seemed to not be attacking me personally. From what Kathy commented about him being a "grouch" and how Chase talked about Maya and Luke makes me believe that he's like this to everyone.

Gill, on the other hand, is attacking me on a personal level. Maybe he has resentment towards me because I'm a newcomer, but I highly doubt that he would be this suspicious of everyone that moved here. I just happen to be a suspicious character in itself and he completely feels it necessary to investigate me to make sure I don't do what I could do to harm this island because, according to Kathy, Gill cares about this place and feels threatened by me. That would definitely explain why he seems so determined to debunk me.

But, when I think about it, wouldn't it be better for the island if I weren't exposed? I mean, Pascal said that me taking over the farm here would help the town, so either he's wrong or Gill doesn't realize this.

"Do you want me to kick his butt for you real quick? It wouldn't be a problem. I know he won't hit back 'cause I'm a girl," Kathy said, breaking my train of thought.

"Oh, um, no. It's not a big deal, really," I said. "So, why are you here, anyways? I didn't know you had a horse."

"Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed and petted the horses mane. "This is Sophie! I don't have any room for her where I live, so Renee's family at Horn Ranch lets me keep her there. I go there whenever I can to ride her. Which brings me to why I'm here! I was there today and Renee's parents were talking about wanting to give you a free calf to start off with, so I offered to bring you there now!"

"They want to give me a cow for free? That's so generous of them," I said. I have never met the family at Horn Ranch yet and it seemed unreal to think that complete strangers would give me a cow for free. But, then again, I guess it would be unusual for someone to give me a cow whether I knew them or not.

Kathy shrugged. "Eh, not really. They're just generous people by nature. Ya coming?" she asked reaching a helping hand out.

"Y-You mean…I have to ride on it with you?"

She grinned. "Well, it is the fastest way. Don't worry! I'll go slow for your first time."

Kathy helped me up onto the horse and once I was secure, she signaled the animal to trot lightly to Horn Ranch. It was scary at first, but after getting used to it, it became fun to sit and feel the air blow my hair back and to watch everything pass by as if I were looking out the window of a car. Then, the horse halted by Kathy's command and she helped me off the tall horse.

"Here we are!" she sang. "Oh! Do you see that girl over there with the yellow dress?" She pointed over to a girl with bobbed brown hair in front of a large barn. "That's Renee. You'll love her!" She then waved to the girl and started walking over to her with me following right behind. "Hey, I brought her like I said I would!"

Renee smiled one of the most radiant smiles I had ever seen on a human being. "Hi," she said, her body swaying back and forth with her hands behind her back. "You must be Molly! My name is Renee. I live here on this ranch with my parents."

I bowed politely. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Did Kathy already tell you?" she asked.

"I sure did," Kathy said. "Is it in the barn?"

"Yep! Come on, I'll show you!"

Renee led us into the large barn where I saw many cows, goats, sheep, and even a few ostriches here and there. I had never seen so many animals in one place in my life, let alone near me. In the far left corner of the barn was a tall man brushing away at three different colored calves as they mooed in delight.

"Dad," Renee said to him. "She's here."

I then learned that the man was Renee's father and he introduced himself to me as Cain. He was very friendly and shared the same radiant smile that his daughter had. He showed the three calves to me and asked me to pick which one I would like to have. It was a hard decision, but in the end, I choose the charcoal black calf. Renee then insisted on what I would name it and decided to name it Giselle after a kitten I briefly had when I was five years old.

Unfortunately, when I only had the kitten for two days, it scratched my face and my parents got rid of it because of a few small cuts it gave me. That was the first, last, and only pet I had ever had. Knowing that I practically no experience with animals made me a little unsure of taking care of a calf. This calf will have depend on me with its life. What if I do something wrong like forget to feed it? I expressed my concern on whether I was fit to take care of an animal to Renee, Kathy, and Cain, telling them that I've never taken care of an animal before, but they quickly reassured me that I'll be fine and offered to walk me through things, which made me feel somewhat more confident.

"Alright, then. I'll have it delivered to your barn today!" Cain said.

"Thank you so much," I said gratefully. "I don't know what else to say."

Renee giggled. "Just think of it as a welcoming present!"

"I think I should start getting back to town to prepare for my shift tonight," Kathy said. "Are you going to be there tonight, Molly?"

I frowned and let my eyes wonder to the ground. "Well, actually… I'm running short on the money I brought with me, so I probably won't go there until I can harvest my first set of crops in about two days…"

"Molly, we can open a tab for you," Kathy said. "You can pay what you owe later!"

I shook my head. "No, thank you. I was always told that I should never spend money that I don't have."

That was actually true. Shelley would always say that when she would go on a rant on credit cards, though they weren't exactly directed towards me because she knew that I lived in a family that had plenty of money I could spend without a second thought. But that wasn't true anymore. I'm not rich anymore and I don't have money I can spend freely. I'm a commoner now and I must keep a budget, which means that I can't afford to get into any kind of debt while living this new life.

"Then what're ya gonna to eat for dinner? Ya gonna to make your own stuff like ya do with your breakfast?"

"Um, no... I normally eat the berries, mushrooms, and herbs I see around the island for breakfast and lunch. I don't know how to cook," I said shamefully, feeling so pathetic.

Renee gasped and looked at me with big, sympathetic, brown eyes. "That's not anyway to eat!"

"Well, I don't have a lot of money to buy food for breakfast and lunch, so I thought I could eat what I can and then have a good dinner at night," I explained.

"What!" Renee shook her head disapprovingly. "Why don't you stay here for dinner tonight and come here for breakfast tomorrow! I'm sure my parents won't mind; they love visitors!"

I just about to insist that I couldn't let them do this for me after already being so generous to me by giving me a free calf, but my stomach growled loudly, stopping me. "I guess, if you don't think I'd be a burden," I accepted reluctantly.

Renee smiled, satisfied that she could help. "Of course you won't be a burden!"

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><p><strong>** No Chase in this chapter, but there was definitely some plot. Chase will definitely be in the next chapter! :D **<strong>


	7. White Rice

**** Sorry for such a long wait, guys! School does that to you sometimes. **

**As promised, I give you Chase in this chapter. :) ****

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><p><span>Chapter 7<span>

Renee's family made large meals consisting mostly of dairy products produced from their ranch while I ate there the next two days, waiting impatiently to harvest my turnips. They were such a generous and accepting family that if I were a disgusting pig demon, I'm sure they would still feed me with a smile.

"How are you doing with Giselle so far?" Renee asked.

"I don't know… She doesn't want to listen to me," I muttered.

She waved her hand. "She's probably still getting used to her new home. I'm sure she'll warm up to you soon!"

"You're harvesting your crops today, right?" Cain inquired.

"Yes, I should get the money tomorrow if I ship them today," I said.

"Awww! Tonight will be the last time you eat here, then" Renee said sadly.

I was a little sad by that. I liked their hospitality towards me and the dairy based meals I ate with them the past two days.

"Well, maybe I can eat here again once in a while," I said.

Renee returned her radiant smile on her face and nodded along with her parents.

"Any time! We love having you here," Renee's mother, Hana, said.

I smiled and began to slowly make my way to the door. "I guess it's time for work. Thanks again for breakfast. I'll be back later," I said, waving as I exited.

Walking down the path from Horn Ranch, I began to think about harvesting my turnips and how proud of myself I was for transitioning from my old life to this new life. In this new life, I can grow my own food using dirt and water! It may seem a little silly for me to be excited about this in the eyes of the people on Castanet, but I've never done things quite like this. I've heard of farmers and ranchers, but to actually do what they do is something entirely different.

And when I do little things for the crops like watering, I worry in the back of my head if I was doing something wrong and actually doing something to hurt them. Was I giving the turnips too much water? Not enough water?

And now, it is happening again. As I think about harvesting the crops, I worry if I actually know how to do it properly. I can't mess up this first harvest. If something goes wrong, I won't have any money to support myself.

To make certain of myself, I stopped by Marimba Farm and asked for more advice, which Anissa kindly gave. She even harvested a turnip in front of me in their field to show me. Pulling it out of the ground looked simple, so it made me feel much more confident in what I was going to do.

"Don't worry so much about it, Molly," Anissa told me with a lighthearted giggle. "You'll do fine!"

While I was there, I asked her what seeds she would recommend for the summer season, which officially starts tomorrow. She suggested planting tea leaves because of its quick income and tomatoes because I can keep harvesting it without having to buy more seeds.

She said it would be a good idea to plant a fruit tree as soon as I can so that I can pick fruits off of them when they grow tall enough. I loved the idea. I love to eat fruit, so if I ever run out of money and can't buy dinner, I can eat the fruit and not have to depend on anyone else to feed me.

Discovering that I had in fact spent three hours talking with Anissa, I decided to visit Marimba Farm again tomorrow to buy seeds. I left the farm and after walking only a few steps did I see a familiar person sitting against the house with the orange roof. His messy hair let the breeze blow through it and his head faced the clear sky with his eyes closed, making him look so peaceful and relaxed.

His serene look was unusual to see on him, so I got closer to make sure if it was him. I was only a few feet away and he didn't look any different.

"Chase?" I said to see if it was really him.

He opened his violet eyes. "Oh, hey, Molly," he said calmly, now facing away from the sky to face me.

"I didn't expect to see you out here. What are you doing here?" I asked in curiosity.

He pointed his thumb backwards at the house he was next to. "I live here."

"You do? To think that I've been walking by it without knowing! Your house is so small and cute too!"

Chase only sighed. "Don't call a man's home 'cute'…"

"Sorry," I said with a giggle.

He shrugged at looked out at Marimba Farm's field. "It's fine."

Something about him wasn't in character. He was so calm and didn't have any edge or sarcasm in his voice. His face didn't have any lines from making facial expressions. But I did notice that his eyes were only half open and glazed when he moved them.

"Chase, are you okay? You seem very lifeless today," I observed.

He looked back at me. "No, I just woke up, that's all."

I glanced down and noticed that he was, in fact, still wearing his blue, plaid pajama pants. "But it's close to noon already!"

"You're forgetting that I work at night. It's perfectly reasonable for me to sleep this late."

"Huh, I guess you're right. I didn't think about that…"

Chase picked himself off the ground and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "I'm about to go inside and make something to eat. You want some?"

My eyes widened slightly in surprise. The Chase I knew from Brass Bar wasn't so inviting. I imagined him to be unwilling to let people enter his house, but I had to keep in mind that he was still sleepy and wasn't acting like himself.

Chase didn't wait up for me and went inside the house, leaving the door open for me.

I stuck my head inside the doorway warily. "Um, are you sure I can?" I said, making certain.

"I asked if you wanted to, didn't I?" he said back.

I had to admit, I was curious about where Chase lived, so I let myself in and closed the door behind me. The living room was connected to the kitchen, much like my house. Chase was already in the kitchen, placing a pot on top of a burning stove.

"I'm going to go change clothes," Chase said. "If the water starts boiling, can you turn the stove down to low?"

I nodded and he left the room into another room. I slowly walked around the room, looking around at the things he had. One in particular that caught my eye was the TV in his living room area. I sat in front of it and examined it up close. It couldn't be any larger than a twenty inch TV. I had never seen a TV so small in person. At the mansion, our screens were a minimum of sixty-five inches. And Chase's TV didn't look like the sleek ones at the mansion. This one had a fat body and was bulky, but I liked it.

"What are you doing?"

I turned around and saw Chase, who had changed into a pair of blue jeans and a white button-up shirt, giving me a weird look. I didn't blame him. I would give a weird look at anybody who sat in front of a black TV screen in wonder.

"I was just looking at your TV. I've never seen one like it before."

"What, 'cause you were homeless or something?"

"Yeah…" I lied. I then proceeded to bite my bottom lip and stare hard at the ground, feeling guilty for having to lie to cover my tracks.

Chase dismissed the subject and went back to his pot.

I watched as he peered into the pot, adjust the heat on the stove, and add a cup of rice to the pot. Then, nothing filtered what randomly popped into my mind. "I've never seen the lower half of your body until today."

He looked over his shoulder at me and laughed. "'Cause you've only seen me behind the counter at the bar?"

I grinned. "Exactly."

"Speaking of which, you haven't been at the bar in a few days," he said, trying to sound nonchalant, but ended up sounding slightly annoyed.

He must finally be waking up.

"Yeah, I've been a little tight on money lately," I said, keeping my grin to not make the atmosphere blue, but I knew my eyes betrayed me and showed a glimmer of sadness. Renee's family said that they would feed me until I get some money from my crops. They've been very nice to me, but I can't help but feel a little bad for having to depend on them for food."

Chase frowned. "I don't see why you don't just make your own meals," he muttered. "You can just cook rice; it's inexpensive, it's filling, and it's easy to make."

I remember when Shelley once said, "_If you tell a chef ya can't cook, you're gonna get burned!_"

I laughed under my breath. Chase was definitely not going to respond nicely to this. "Actually, I don't know how to cook anything…"

He rolled his eyes. "Anyone can cook something."

"Well, then, I guess I'm not like anyone else!" I said with a shrug and let out an awkward laugh, hoping it would turn into one of those contagious laughs.

Obviously it didn't work because Chase didn't laugh. Instead, he sighed exasperatedly and gestured for me to stand next to him in front of the stove with his wooden spoon.

I was hesitant, half expecting him to slap my wrist with that wooden spoon. To my surprise, he gave the spoon to me.

"You're going to cook white rice," he said with a smirk.

"What?" I mumbled, utterly confused.

He went to his refrigerator and pulled out a stick of butter and selected a saltshaker from a cabinet above the kitchen counters. "Add a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt," he commanded.

"Chase, I'm going to ruin the – "

"Not if you follow my directions carefully," he insisted. I looked at the pot with uncertainty, but nodded anyways to show that I trusted him. "Now, get one of the regular spoons in that drawer and add a spoonful of butter into the pot," he said. I did what he said. "Now, put a little salt in your hand and add a pinch of it."

I did that too. "What now?" I asked.

"Stir it once with the wooden spoon," he said. "Then put that lid on the pot and turn the heat back up on the stove so that it can start boiling again."

"Is this how you learned how to cook?" I asked while I waited for the water to boil.

He shook his head. "I learned how to cook on my own, but this is how Master Yolanda teaches me new recipes."

"Master Yolanda?"

"Maya's grandmother," he clarified.

"Hmm, it's not much of teaching, but more of giving instructions," I said.

He smirked. "True, but that's what a recipe is - a list of instructions."

"You have a point there," I agreed. "The water is boiling. What do I do now?"

"Turn the heat down and wait about fifteen minutes for it to simmer," he said and sat down at the nearby dining table, propping his elbow on the table top and held his head up with his fist. I joined him on the other side of the table at sat in boredom until he finally said something. "Hey, I have a question I want to ask you," he said.

I blinked. "What is it?"

"Why are you a vegetarian? Is it for animal's rights, the health benefits?"

I smiled and shook my head. "That's not it. I've just always been vegetarian… That's just how my parents raised me. To be honest, being vegetarian never meant anything to me. I bet you would never believe me when I say that I have never ate a piece of meat in my life."

Chase's eyebrows arched upwards. "Wow," he said, impressed. "If it doesn't mean anything to you, then why do you still not eat meat?"

I paused to consider this. "I…I guess it's because I still feel loyal somewhat to my parents… But I do know that I want to try it someday."

Chase nodded understandingly. "Well, whenever you want to try it, let me know and I'll cook something extra good for you to try," he said with a smile.

That was the first time I ever saw Chase smile in a way that wasn't an amused smirk. This smile was genuine and friendly. I couldn't resist smiling brightly in return. "Thanks, Chase."

"No problem." He took a quick glance at the pot. "Go grab the wooden spoon," he commanded, back in cooking mode.

"But it hasn't been fifteen minutes yet."

"I know. Just gently move the rice and see if there's still some water left," he said, now placing mushrooms, spinach, and minced garlic in butter on the counter.

I checked the rice and saw that there was barely any more water left to be absorbed by the rice. When I informed him, he said to turn the heat from the pot of rice. He began chopping the mushrooms and spinach and quickly sautéed them with a tablespoon of minced garlic in butter until it was tender, all the while I watched in amazement. He stirred everything into the pot of rice after making sure that the rest of the water was absorbed.

"It's done," he announced and made me a bowl.

As expected, Chase's cooking was great and urged me to get seconds. I felt somewhat accomplished as well when eating it, knowing that I helped make it. Even if all I did was follow Chase's instructions word for word, cooking the rice was actually fun. It was better than making food with dirt and water!

After eating and thanking him for the food, I went back my farm to harvest the turnips and place them in the large, yellow shipping box next to the plot of land. I then went into the barn to put fodder in Giselle's trough. I tried to brush her black coat, but she wouldn't allow it and instead stubbornly ran away to the other side of the barn, not letting me get close enough to brush her.

I sighed in defeat when I eventually gave up trying to brush her. I knew I would have trouble taking care of animals…

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><p><strong>** I actually had to look up on the internet how to make white rice to make this chapter, so I have no idea for sure if Chase and Molly made it right. I could've had them cook something I already know how to make...but I didn't. xD <strong>

**So, I'd like to know what you guys think Molly's farm should be called. I'll pick one from the reviews and it will be her farm's official name! I thought it would be more fun to name it this way. :) The name I pick will be revealed in either Chapter 8 or Chapter 9 (Most likely 9). So, you have until then to submit your suggestions! **

**Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing! I absolutely love reading your reviews because of how positive and supportive you all are. They definitely make my day, so thank you once again! :D ****


	8. Summer

Chapter 8

"Giselle, eat your food, please!" I urged the ebony calf in front of me, waving a handful of fodder in my hands.

The calf only gave me a blank stare like I was an idiot and walked slowly to the other side of the barn.

I sighed. This wasn't how I hoped the first day of the new season would start out like, not that I was expecting a dancing sun in the sky and rainbows spouting everywhere, but I definitely didn't want to sit in a barn and somehow convince a cow to eat its food. Giselle didn't eat the fodder I set out in her trough for her yesterday, so I needed to make sure she ate today so that she wouldn't get sick.

"Hey, new girl!" I heard from outside the barn. "Where are ya?"

I peeked out the barn doors and saw a familiar bandana on top of a shaggy head of blue hair. "Hi, Luke," I said. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "The shop's closed today and I didn't have anything to do, so I thought I'd hang out here!"

"I don't mind, but I'm not going to be doing anything very fun today. I have a lot of work since it's the first day of the season and I need to pick up at few things at Marimba Farm -

"I'll help you!" He grinned.

"I don't think you'd want to… It'll probably take me all day," I warned him.

"That's okay! I don't have anything better to do!" he reasoned.

I shrugged carelessly. "Okay, if you really want to."

The first thing he tried to help me with was Giselle. She didn't respond any better with Luke than she did with me. She would do the usual and retreat to a corner, away from her trough. It got to the point where Luke tried pushing Giselle to her trough. It didn't work; the only that did was make Giselle upset with him and chased him around the barn until he managed to escape outside.

"It's defective!" he cried in horror.

"What if she won't eat because she's sick?" I considered.

"Or maybe 'cause that thing is a demon cow!"

"Perhaps Renee could help…"

Eventually, we went to Horn Ranch to seek Renee's expert advice. She listened to my problem intently.

"Well, it's possible that she's acting this way because she's sick, but I think it's because she's just reacting to her new home," she said knowingly. "She's still a calf, so it makes sense if she's a little uneasy. I don't think she'll eat the food you give her until she learns to trust you, so for right now, you can let her outside and she'll graze on the grass already on your farm." Renee must have seen the uncertainty in my facial expression because she then giggled confidently. "It's only been a few days! She just needs to adjust."

Leaving Horn Ranch, I felt a little better that I at least knew how I could get Giselle to eat, but I was still feeling discouraged. Luckily, the summer air was enough to calm my nerves and worries. Summer…

This was supposed to be the day that I officially graduate high school from my private home schooling. Even if I only have a few weeks left of schooling, I didn't graduate high school. Apart of me was ashamed of myself and the other couldn't care less. Why would I need a high school diploma to run a farm? There is no necessity in a piece of paper like that in my new life here.

Bryce graduation ceremony from his prestigious boarding school was held this morning. I wonder how he is doing right now… My parents must have informed him by now that I'm missing.

I bet everyone is going crazy right now, trying to find me and bring me home before the wedding.

"What next, Molly?" Luke asked excitedly as we walked. The way he followed my lead like a puppy and the cheerful grin he gave reminded me of Bryce. It wasn't really a bad thing. It allowed me to imagine Luke as him and pretend that Bryce wasn't worried about my disappearance, or didn't blame me for running away, if he even did at all.

I gazed to the west where Marimba Farm's vast field was. I could see one or two people, who looked like little black dots in the distance, walking through the field, sowing and watering seeds.

"I have to buy new seeds, so let's stop by Marimba," I said.

Inside the shop, Luke looked around eagerly. "When does spinach come into season?" he asked Ruth at the front counter.

"Autumn," she sighed. "Must you ask every time you step foot into this shop? I would think that after telling you so many times that you would remember."

Luke ignored her remark and turned to me. "Molly, you've gotta grow spinach when it's in season! You've gotta!"

"Do you…like spinach?" I asked.

He pumped his fist in the air. "Heck yeah! It's EXTREME!"

It wasn't everyday that you find someone that likes spinach as much Luke does. You could tell by his jitters that he was impatient for spinach to be in season so that he could stuff his face all he wanted. His enthusiasm over something so trivial as spinach made me giggle a little and left me slightly eager to grow spinach as well as other fall crops.

I bought a few bags of seeds according to the recommendations Anissa gave me, plus watermelon seeds. I love watermelon and thought it would be well worth it. I also bought one apple seedling and one orange seedling to plant so that they may soon grow into tall trees that showered down fruit.

Luke stayed at the farm and helped me plant and water my crops, all while sharing more cheerful words with me that could only make me wonder how someone could have such an optimistic out-look on life. When we finished with the work, it was getting late, so I invited him to join me in going to Brass Bar for dinner since I was enjoying his company today.

"Welcome!" Kathy greeted when we arrived. She quickly recognized me and then pulled on my arm and sat me down at a table with Owen. "Molly, I'm so glad you're eating here again!"

"Hey, Kathy, I don't get a hi?" Luke complained.

"Hi," Kathy said over her shoulder and returned her attention back to me.

Owen laughed and exchanged an elaborate handshake with Luke that only they knew before offering his friend a seat at the table.

"Kathy, why did you drag me here? I was just going to sit where I usually do," I said, puzzled.

She wagged a finger and grinned. "You said that next time you come you would sit with us, remember?"

I almost forgot about that. "Oh, yeah, you're right," I laughed.

"So, Molly," Owen started, "do you like living here at Castanet so far?"

I nodded with a smile. "I love it! Living in a place like this is all so new and exciting to me."

"What's so different about here and the city?" Luke asked curiously.

"Hmm," I hummed, tapping my finger to my cheek. "Well, for one, there are no cars here."

He blinked. "Cars?"

Kathy rolled her green eyes. "You idiot… You know what a car is!"

Luke scratched the back of his head and thought hard. "Those are the metal things with four wheels… Is that right, Molly?"

"Um, sure… That's one way to put it," I said regarding his rough description of a car.

Owen leaned in. "You'll have to excuse Luke. He's a very special person."

"Special enough to beat you in an arm-wrestle!" Luke declared in defense.

Owen cleared space on the table for his challenge and beefy arm and smirked in confidence and amusement. "Bring it!"

Kathy shook her head. "They always have an arm-wrestle when they see each other," she murmured to me. "Molly, you must be hungry! What'll it be for tonight?" she asked in her normal voice, whipping out a red notepad and pen from nowhere. "We're having a special on miso soup."

I ordered the soup and a small salad on the side. Kathy then made her way and handed my order to Chase. He read it over and shot a brief glance my way before starting to prepare the food. My lips curved upwards slightly, but they retreated downwards when I saw who was seated at the bar counter where I usually sat.

It was Gill, who was stirring his tomato soup to cool it down and staring at me in his peripheral vision.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in a shiver and I looked away, rubbing my arms, which now had goose bumps.

Kathy returned to the table and automatically knew why I looked so spooked. "I know," she said. "He doesn't come here often. He actually came here and asked if you would be here."

"We didn't know you were friends with him," Owen said. "He doesn't socialize very much with others, so it was kinda surprising."

I continued to hang my head down stare hard at the table with my lips holding a firm straight line. "We're not friends…" I said in a low voice.

"Ol' Gilly must have a crush on you then!" Luke said with a laugh.

I bit my lip. He couldn't be any more wrong… It was easy to assume why he was here looking for me. He wanted to _talk_. I knew we would eventually have to, but I hoping he would choose a much more quiet place to face me.

My hands started to sweat as I began to become more and more nervous. To sit here wait for Gill to approach me and reveal me made my anxiety increase and cause me to forget to breath properly, thus my heart beating faster as each grueling second went by. Approaching him instead would make this so much more bearable. At least I would feel somewhat in control until he gives his reasons and evidence to expose me.

"What's wrong, Molly?" Luke asked with a frown. "Are you still upset about the demon cow?"

I took a deep breath to push away my nervousness and gave a painted smile. "I'm fine. I think…I'm going to go speak with Gill for a second…"

"Ooohhh," Owen said with nod. "I get it. Just let him down easy."

"Let him down easy?" I repeated in confusion.

"Yeah, don't break his little heart too bad," he said.

Kathy and Luke nodded along with him in agreement.

"Uh…sure…" I replied. It's amazing how totally wrong about the situation they really were. They thought I was going over there to tell him that I didn't feel the same way about him, that I didn't have a crush on him as well.

I went over and cautiously took a seat beside Gill. I didn't look at him or acknowledge that he was there. I only sat quietly with my hands together in front of me as I stared ahead at Chase's back while he cooked in front of us.

Gill didn't look at me either as he continued to sip his soup. "Hmm, I wasn't expecting for you to approach me first," he finally said.

I gulped. "I'd…I'd rather not talk here…" I muttered, still not looking at him. I could see Chase discreetly look over his shoulder at us as he listened. We must have sounded very suspicious, like we were in the process of a very important, secret business deal that was completely illegal.

"I don't either," Gill said, his voice very collected and had no signs of doubts or nervousness, something I envied right about now. "In fact, I wasn't planning on talking to you tonight. I was only going to remind you that you haven't stopped by Town Hall to place a name on your farm this week. Tomorrow would be a good time to do both, don't you think?"

"Sure," I said almost in a whisper.

I saw him smirk and leave a few bills from his wallet by his empty bowl. "Then come by Town Hall at about noon," he said before walking out of Brass Bar.

My lips quivered then and I placed my hands on top of my head. A single tear left my right eye and took its sweet time making it down to my jaw line. I could feel Chase's gaze on my as his violet eyes widened at the sight of my unsteady reaction.

"Molly?" he said carefully as if any minute I would explode hysterically.

I wiped the single tear from my face and avoided eye contact with him. "I'm fine…"

Chase's eyebrows scrunched up. "You don't look fine."

As much as I wanted to talk to Chase or anyone else, about my problem, I couldn't. The only one I could tell was Shelley and I have yet to find a working phone on this island that I could use. And even if I did find one, wouldn't people question whom I was calling in the first place? According to my fake, made-up background story, I am a homeless girl before I moved here and have no living family. Who does someone like that call? I suspect nobody. For now, all I could do is hold in my thoughts and wait until I can get my hands on a phone for my very own when the time comes.

"Chase, is my food almost done?" I asked softly.

"Yeah, and don't think you can just change the subject like that," he said.

Then, Kathy, Luke, and Owen appeared by my side in a second. Luke wrapped his arms around me while Owen and Kathy sat on either side of me with a concerned look.

"What happened?" Owen asked me. "I thought he was supposed to the one that would be depressed and not you!"

"What do you mean?" Chase inquired with narrowing eyes.

"We think Gill was asking about her earlier because he has a crush on her," Kathy explained.

"Molly! You went so easy on him that you ended up making yourself depressed! That takes talent, so don't be so down!" Luke said in attempt to cheer me up.

Chase's eyes only narrowed in suspicion. He could see that the story wasn't true at all, but he didn't say anything.

"Guys, let's just forget about it," I suggested.

They were reluctant at first, but they eventually agreed to not talk about it any further, thankfully.

"Come on, let's go back to the table," Kathy said to me.

"Hey, what's wrong with just staying here?" Chase said.

Kathy smirked deviously. "Aww! Is someone jealous because I'm taking Molly away from your area?"

Chase's cheeks turned pink. "I'm not jealous!" he snarled. "I was just wondering why you would go off to a different table when you're all already sitting here!"

"Yeah, right! And I bet that's why you had that look when we said that Gill had a crush on her!"

"I wasn't making a face!"

I sighed exasperatedly, not in the mood to laugh at their sibling-like arguments like how Owen and Luke were. I didn't even care that the argument was about Chase being jealous. I knew he wasn't jealous of Gill because I know he heard that conversation between Gill and I and knew the whole Gill-has-a-crush-on-me story is not true Though, I did find it strange that he would blush when Kathy accused him of being jealous of her for having me sit with her, but I suppose it isn't unheard of for people to flush when they get angry or annoyed.

"Why don't you go eat a pickled turnip?" Kathy cried.

Chase grimaced at the thought. "I swear I'll sneak mushrooms in your food!"

Kathy must not like mushrooms because she gasped when Chase said this. "If you do that, I'll never speak to you again!"

"Good, then my life will be much quieter."

"Kathy," I said, interrupting her and Chase in the middle of their argument. They completely halted and looked at me questionably. "Let's just sit here. Chase is right; there's no point in moving if we're already seated."

Chase folded his arms and grinned triumphantly.

"Fine," Kathy huffed, giving Chase a death glare.

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><p><strong>** I feel like this chapter isn't as great as the other chapters. I can't exactly put my finger on it... Oh, well! I still hope it was to your liking! :D <strong>

**You guys had some really nice suggestions for the name of Molly's farm! It's getting hard to decide which one I want to use more, so I think I'm going to pick one randomly. It's also makes naming it even more fun! :P** **The name will be revealed next chapter, so you can still suggest something if you haven't already. ****


	9. Deal

**Holy absence! o.O I haven't updated in exactly a month and two weeks. SORRY, GUYS! I've been very busy with school the past month. Dumb AP classes and extra-curricular activities are depriving me of my writing time! :( Things, however, are finally starting to slow down a bit, which means I have more time to write! Yaaayy! :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 9<span>

I tilted my watering can, letting the water sprinkle onto my sprouting crops like a soft rain. It's the perfect thing to do to calm my worries on facing Gill. I only have half an hour at the most before I'm to arrive at Town Hall, and I still don't know what I'm going to say. He must know who I am. How am I supposed to respond to that? Just deny every piece of evidence he throws at me?

I sighed. Thinking about it is so stress-building. Sometimes, it sounds easier to just run away, like I did from the mansion and start over in a town where people don't care where you come from, but I know that that would be a stupid idea. I have such a great opportunity here on this farm, and the only problem is Gill's suspicions of me.

"Hi, Molly!" I heard call my name from behind me. I turned around to see Renee making her way through the property's grassy field towards me. "I came to have a look at Giselle. She never gave me any problems when she was at our ranch, so I thought that if I show her that I trust you, maybe she'll begin to trust you too."

I smiled and eagerly led her to the barn, hopeful that her plan might actually work. Renee stood in front of Giselle's trough with me, petting the ebony cow's head while it closed its eyes in delight.

"How do you do that?" I asked in wonder. "She barely allows me to get close enough to brush her."

Renee smiled. She grabbed my hand and slowly rested it on top of Giselle's head where her other hand was already petting. Giselle didn't flinch or run away, but stayed still to continue being pet. Renee then took her hand off of Giselle to where my hand was going solo. "There," Renee said. "Now you're doing it."

Giselle began to open her eyes and saw that it was me, not Renee, petting her. She was surprised, but didn't back away.

"She's not running away from me!" I exclaimed.

Renee giggled and watched as I continued to stroke Giselle's fur before she said anything else. "You know, you're farm is very impressive," she marveled. "You've given the island more business than we've had before."

"But…I'm only one person. How can I make such a difference?"

"One person can do a lot if they do the right thing," she said wisely. "Your farm's exports are going to benefit the island's economy more and more as it gets larger!"

"I didn't know I could make such a difference," I said, baffled and flattered.

Renee had to leave soon after, leaving me to finish up my work for the day, and when I was finished, I set course for Town Hall. Every step added to my nervousness, but for every ten steps, I took a deep breath to soothe and clear my mind. I have to keep calm. If he sees my panic, he'll stomp all over me and win.

I walked into Town Hall and was surrounded by a quiet, stale room with one occupant that worked intently at his desk.

"You're right on time," he said, pulling out a slim file.

"Yep," I said, not wanting to say much.

Gill opened up the file he picked out and clicked a pen when he found a certain paper inside. He slightly lifted his head and looked at me directly with his icy, blue eyes. "I'd prefer to do this first while I'm thinking about it. So, would you mind telling me the name of your farm now?" he asked in such a demanding tone that almost made me feel pressured to give him an absolutely wonderful name; otherwise he would send painful futures my way.

I didn't spend much time thinking of a name before coming to Town Hall. It wasn't hard to find something that sounded fun to say, didn't have any ties whatsoever to my past, and was appropriate to name on an island like Castanet.

"Timpani. Timpani Farm," I said with a small smile.

He lifted his head a little more to face me properly. I may have been mistaken, but his eyes were rid of their piercing glare. He bowed his head back down to quickly record the name in the files. He then returned the file neatly into a nearby filing cabinet. "Keeping Castanet Island's musical theme, I see?" he said, closing the cabinet drawer.

I nodded proudly. "It wouldn't fit if it were the only business without a musical name, now would it?"

Gill's eyebrows rose slightly from his usual scowl, enough to make him not seem so disgusted with my presence. "Hmph, good choice."

I don't know if I was supposed to, but I took that as a compliment, considering that that will most likely be the nicest thing Gill will ever say to me in this lifetime. Gill began to explain that he wanted to talk to me in private, away from Town Hall. He said that he would rather not have his father pop in at any moment and interrupt us, and I agreed with him.

So, we left Town Hall, and he led the way up an elevating road in Harmonica Town, always staying about ten feet ahead of me. As we walked, I noticed his head turn completely to the left to gaze at something. I looked too out of curiosity and saw that he was eying a short girl that looked about my age with poofy, pink hair that was up in cute pigtails.

I recognized her. I couldn't exactly recall her name, but I remember that she was one of the girls I met on one of my visits to Sonata Tailoring to buy clothes that weren't too dressy. I remember that she was very blunt in her suggestions for me to try on compared to the old woman and blue-haired girl with her.

"Do you know her?" I asked Gill quietly so that the girl couldn't possibly hear.

His eyes narrowed and he averted his head back around to face where his feet were moving. "No," he lowly replied and kept walking. It wasn't hard to figure out that he was not telling me the truth, but he obviously didn't want to talk about her with me, and I respected that.

Gill led me to the open space of the Church Grounds. It had a beautiful scenery with lavender flowers and trimmed hedges that complimented the church's elegant, blue stain-glass windows. There were wooden benches for picnics beside the railing, which you could look out from and see the vast, sparkling ocean. Such an environment made me smile the slightest, even when I was in such an uncomfortable situation.

Gill abruptly stopped and made an about-face so that I could see his determined look. "It's quiet here on weekdays, so nobody will interrupt us. I didn't say anything, but kept my lips drew back tightly. He knew I would remain quiet, so he continued with what he planned to say, not wasting any time. "You know, you can fool the townspeople, but you can't fool me," he said.

I crossed my arms weakly across my chest. "I-I don't know what you're talking about…"

He rolled his eyes. "Must I really have to explain to you how I know you weren't homeless again? I shook my head honestly. I would rather not hear him point out all my flaws in hiding my identity. "If you know what is best for you and this island," Gill continued, "I suggest you leave Castanet at once."

Something in me snapped then. My teeth clenched and my fists, now away from my chest and by my side, were gradually tightening as I stared down at the ground, my choppy bangs casting a shadow over my hurt eyes. I didn't know what had come over me. I felt a stubbornness come over me that disagreed on my wish to just cry and run away. And then, I remembered what Renee told me this morning. Her words, which resonated in my mind, sent a wave of confidence in what I was doing. I knew I was doing the right thing. I didn't want to cry and run away anymore.

"No," I said firmly, liking the feel of it.

It looked like he wasn't expecting me to say that. "No?" he mocked vehemently. "Must I force you off this island? Having you here will only cause trouble on this island!"

"That's not true!" I snapped back. "My farm is only benefiting this island and its income. As long as my farm gets better, the economy here will improve for the better. I'm sure that if I disappeared from here now, things would only get worse. I would have thought you of all people would have known that."

Gill took a step back and grumbled. "Do you take me for an idiot? Of course, I have considered that, but I cannot have such a suspicious person run a farm here that the whole island will end up depending on in the future! What if you're actually a wanted criminal or something?"

"I'm not a criminal!" I pressed.

"Yeah, and you used to be homeless!" he sarcastically retorted.

"I don't understand how I'm supposed to convince you that I can be trusted."

"You can start by telling me who you really are."

"My name is Molly."

"That's not what I meant!" he said, losing all of whatever patience he had.

I sighed. "Gill, if I was a criminal, or anybody that wanted to do something bad, why in the world would I be on this island running a farm by myself?"

Gill paused and said in a more calmly way, "If you're not a criminal, then why won't you tell me who you really are?"

I bit my bottom lip. I could tell him - maybe not the whole truth, but enough to satisfy him and make him not ask any more questions. Gill's only interest was the island's well-being. If I made certain to him that I wouldn't be any harm to the island or its people, he probably wouldn't care less about who I was. I took a deep breath and decided that I should just come out and say it. If I just say it, he would be off my back.

"Gill, you have to promise never to speak of this to anyone else," I told him in a hushed volume. "If you do, I will have to leave this island, and you know what will happen to the potential of Castanet Island if I leave the farm."

Gill's eye twinkled in interest and leaned in. "I promise. Now, tell me."

I looked down and twiddled with my hands sheepishly, trying to figure out if there was any way to say it without it feeling so sudden and shocking. Unfortunately, I didn't know of a way. "Well, I…I ran away from home."

His nostrils flared. "Do you realize how irresponsible that is?"

I looked away, knowing how right he was. "Of course I do…but I couldn't stand to be there any longer. I was a prisoner in my own home," I said, almost as if trying to convince not only him, but to myself that what I did was for the best.

He caught on quickly to my unhappiness in my old home, and he looked at me in sympathy. He sighed. "Very well... I can't believe I'm doing this, but I'm willing to strike a deal with you."

"What kind of deal?" I asked.

"If you make sure Timpani Farm does nothing but benefit the island, I won't bother you anymore regarding you leaving Castanet."

I beamed, and a large grin spread across my face. "Really? Oh, thank you! This is fantas-"

"But," Gill cut in, "if Timpani Farm's sales falter, I will not have a problem with exposing you and chasing you out of here."

I gulped. This meant I couldn't afford to slip up at all; otherwise, I'd have to leave here when I've just begun to get settled here. "I understand," I answered.

"Good," he said and stuffed his hands into his black trouser pockets. He turned around and began walking back into town. "Have a good day," he said over his shoulder.

As I watched him walk away with the back of his dark, blue sweater-vest facing me, I thought to myself how wrong my prediction of the outcome of this was. I can't believe I didn't cry. I can't believe I didn't run away. I can't believe I didn't cave in and tell him who I really am. I can't believe I made it out alive!

Making my way back towards town, the accomplishment in me persuaded my feet to gleefully skip instead of boringly walk. Just as I was crossing the exit of the Church Grounds, I noticed Chase not too far off in front of Choral Clinic. He was bending down and needed one hand on the clinic's blue wall to support him while he panted heavily. Seeing him out during this time of day was unusual, but I too happy to be suspicious of something that was most likely nothing.

"Hi, Chase," I said with a light giggle, bending down a little to somewhat be face-to-face with him.

"Gah!" Chase fell backwards to the ground and gaped up at me.

I gasped and immediately helped him off the ground and dusted off his clothes frantically. "Oh, Chase, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like that!"

"N-No," he stuttered and put his hand back on the building to pant some more, "you didn't…scare me. You only…caught me…off guard."

"If you say so," I snickered. "What are you doing here at this time of day? Shouldn't you still be in your pajamas?"

He caught his breath, and his mouth was left open as he looked around at his surroundings quite desperately. "Oh, I was, uhhh…" His eyes finally settled on his hand on the blue wall. "I was getting my check-up! It's best to make sure you're not dying every once in a while."

My eyebrows curved upwards the more I blinked my brown eyes. "Well, are you dying? You sure are acting strange."

"Ahh, n-no, I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's it!" he nervously said, making me worry for him. "Well, I've gotta go now. See ya!" he said and dashed off without another word.

I have never seen Chase act so nervous and jumpy before. Thinking about how strange he acted when he was "tired" made me worry to no end on his well-being. What if he actually got bad news from the doctor while he got his check-up? What if he really was dying? What if his excessive panting was from his shock of the news?

The what-if's were scaring me. I didn't want anything bad to happen to Chase.

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><p><strong>**Well, there you go! The farm's official name is "Timpani Farm".<strong> **Thank you everyone that gave suggestions. I had some really good ones that I liked a lot, but I feel this one fits the best with how I want the story to go. **

**Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! :) ****


	10. Simplicity is Beautiful

**** This was originally a much longer chapter, but I was afraid it would turn out to be long, even for my standards, so the other half will be in the next chapter. This is only about 1,600 words, so this will be the shortest chapter in this story. I haven't wrote a chapter this short in a long time. Usually my chapters average to about 3,000 words. :P **

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><p><span>Chapter 10<span>

It has been a week since I ran into Chase in town next to the clinic, and ever since then, he would hardly say a word to me at the bar if I didn't bring up the subject of food or cooking, something he was willing to talk about at any time. Honestly, talking about food and cooking became boring after a week, but I still brought up the subject. If I didn't, Chase would only nod and give short, dull responses to whatever I tried to talk to him about. When he gave his stoic responses, I couldn't come up with anything to reply with, so I would remain quiet. Whenever we were quiet, I noticed that he had a look on his face that told me that something was on his mind. He would even open his mouth to say something, but would quickly close it back shut, as if to change his mind. This was when the thought of him getting bad news from the doctor would come in.

"Chase, is something on your mind?" I would ask to be sure.

His violet eyes would look away as if he thought this was the perfect way to prevent me from reading his mind, which I wished I had the ability to do. "No, nothing. Don't worry about it," he would answer.

It made me uneasy to think that something could be so wrong with Chase that he couldn't tell me about. I wanted to know, but I couldn't pry into his life. It wasn't any of my business, so I had to respect that. It made me sad to think about something being wrong with Chase, so I would quickly bring up the subject of food so that Chase would actively join in a conversation with me, thus distracting him from whatever was on his mind. Even though talking about food and cooking was getting old, I continued to keep the conversation going. I liked listening to his strong, critical opinions about a subject I wasn't very familiar of. All I could really do was nod and give a response to whatever part of the conversation I could relate to, which was enough for Chase, for he would keep going and not question my nonexistent knowledge of cooking.

During one of these talks that I purposely started to listen to Chase talk, Kathy came along and gave him a scolding look. "Chase, you're boring her to death!"

"Oh, no, Kathy! I'm not bored at all," I tried to tell her. I wasn't entirely sure if it was a lie though. The subject was getting boring for me to think about, but listening to Chase talk about it wasn't. It was fun watching him talk about something he was enthusiastic about.

"Kathy, go away," Chase said, obviously annoyed with her.

"I can't let you drive her away. Poor, little Molly must be having her ears talked off! Talk about something else, like, how her day was. Yeah, ask her about her day!"

Chase rolled his eyes and looked at me with a mocking smile. "How was your day?"

"Umm, good."

"That's nice," he said pleasantly and immediately changed his attitude when he turned back to Kathy. "Now, go away."

Kathy pouted and placed her fists on her hips. "Now you're just being rude! Oh, are you going to the Firefly Festival tomorrow, Chase? You can talk about that."

"No. Why would anybody want to sit around and watch a bunch of bugs?"

"Hmph, you're no fun!" Kathy said and then turned to Molly. "What about you, Molly? Are you going to go?"

"I've never heard of it until now. What do you do at this festival?" I asked.

"We place lanterns on the river in honor of our ancestors and watch the fireflies at night. It'll be a lot of fun!"

I smiled when I imagined various glowing lanterns floating down stream with little specs of flickering light flying in air above. It sounded like a beautiful festival to attend. "I'd love to go. You don't see fireflies from where I'm from, so I've never seen fireflies. They must be beautiful to watch in person."

"It is, and Chase is going to escort you so that you won't be lonely!" she said with a cheeky grin.

"No, I'm not. I've already told you I'm not going," Chase said. "Why can't she just go with you and Owen?"

"Because we want this to be a private date! Besides, Molly can't go alone. What if something happened to her? What if she was attacked or something?" Kathy read Chase's face and could tell that he was reconsidering his decision, but needed an extra push. She pretended a dramatic sigh and shrugged her shoulders. "But if you really don't want to accompany Molly, I'm sure Luke would be excited to take her to see the fireflies."

I could hear a growl from Chase, which urged me to intervene. "Guys, really, it's okay!" I pressed. "I can just go by myself. I'll be fine."

Chase groaned and rubbed his hand against his forehead. "No, I can take you."

"Oh, are you sure? You don't have to," I assured him.

He sighed exasperatedly. "No, it's not a big deal. I can take you."

Kathy smirked, satisfied. "Looks like Chase finally decided to be a gentleman!" She then pulled out a few bills from her pocket and placed them in my hand. "Now, go to the tailor's next door and get yourself a cute dress with that!"

"Kathy, I can't accept this," I said, holding the money out for her to take back. "I have enough to pay for my own."

Kathy rejected the money. "Well, I'm not taking it back. I want to pay for your dress. Think of it as a present for being a regular customer!"

I eventually accepted it, and once I was finished with the food I ordered at the bar, I stopped by Sonata Tailoring where the pink-haired girl, whom I learned was named Luna, assisted me.

Luna measured me with a long, yellow tape and searched through a long clothes rack for a dress that she thought would look best on me. "You know what color would look amazing on you? Gold! And there's a sparkly gold dress here with your name on it!" Luna exclaimed excitedly, about to dig for the said dress.

The mention of the horrid color made my face twist in disgust. "Sorry, but I really don't like that color, and I hate how it looks on me. Can you find something else, please?"

Luna continued to search, muttering something about how the customer wasn't always right. As I watched her go through the many dresses they had, I wondered why Gill would lie about knowing her. I didn't see anything wrong with her. In fact, I thought she was very pretty and fashionable.

"Hey, Luna?" I said, unsure if what I doing was the right thing to do. "I was wondering if you could tell me a little about the mayor's son. What do you think of him?"

She eyed me questionably with her dark blue eyes, most likely wondering what made me ask such a question, and continued to search for a suitable dress, not letting me see her face while she answered. "You must mean Gill. Well, he works a lot, so I don't talk to him very much besides when he comes to do business with us. Why do you want to know? Are you in love with him or something?" she asked bluntly.

"W-What?"

"Hey, no need to be embarrassed, Molly-kins! At least you're not in love with an idiot like Luke. So, what? Are you going to the festival with Gill tomorrow? Watching the fireflies is so romantic!"

"Actually, Chase is supposed to be taking me tomorrow."

"Oh, I get it. You're in love with Chase, then!"

My face heated up from the frustration caused by her assumptions. "I never said I was in love with anyone!"

Luna giggled. "Whatever you say, Molly-kins." She then gasped suddenly and pulled out a simple, but pretty, blue sundress. It looked so familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before. "This dress is perfect for you!"

I didn't even have to try it on. Something in my gut told me that Luna was right. The dress had a special aura about it that made me feel attracted to its simplicity. I didn't even have to see the sparkly, gold dress Luna suggested earlier to know that this simple, delicate, blue dress was far more beautiful and much more worth having. Like they all say, all that glitters is not gold.

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><p><strong>** Yeah, it was a pretty boring chapter<strong>**, but I'm sure you can tell the fun stuff will be in the next chapter, huh?** ******


	11. Fireflies

**** I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. If not, I hope Black Friday was a little better. There's nothing better than watching people swarm in the Electronics section for a Plasma TV. xD ****

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><p><span>Chapter 11<span>

I looked in the mirror after I took the time to get ready before the Firefly Festival. I wore the same blue sundress Luna picked out for me, and my short, brown hair was down. It had been a while since I wore a dress. Since I had work on the farm, it was simply unnecessary to be wearing nice clothes like dresses and heels. I could already tell this was going to be a nice night.

All that I was waiting for was Chase to come by my house so that we can go to the festival, though it disappointed me that Chase wasn't interested in watching the fireflies. He would have to sit there the entire time with me, bored out of his mind while I enjoyed myself as I watch the fireflies, which, I admit, was extremely excited to view in person for the first time. It sounded so unfair to me. Who am I to drag along him to an event that I know he would hate?

As I was putting on my white sandals, I heard a knock from my door. As expected, it was Chase.

He looked me over with a bit of surprise and cleared his throat. "You look…nice."

I thanked him with a sheepish smile, and we began walking to Flute Fields where the festival was to be held. When we were about half-way there, instead of continuing straight down the path, I turned right on a faded trail that led to a secluded beach on the island that I heard about from Luke.

"Molly, where are you going? We're going to miss the festival," Chase said.

"Yeah, but I know that you don't want to be there, so I thought we could do something else instead."

Chase didn't understand my motives at all, for he looked at me with a confused, yet skeptical, face. "But I thought you really wanted to see the fireflies?"

"I still do, but it wouldn't be much fun if you weren't enjoying yourself too. Besides, there's always next year, right?"

I kicked off my sandals and made my way to the shore, where I could feel the cool water splash against my ankles and feel the wet sand in between my toes. I had never been to this beach at night, so it was easy for me to marvel at how beautiful it was with the stars twinkling in the sky playfully, the moon glowing brightly so that its radiance would reflect off the water in the ocean, and the clean sand that was still warm from sitting under the baking sun during the day.

"So, you just want to hang out here, then?" Chase asked to be sure.

"Very much, if that's okay with you," I replied, hoping he wouldn't mind.

He shrugged, and he let out a sigh before sitting down in the sand with his knees slightly bent in front of him, and his arms were behind him as they held and supported his body weight while he leaned back casually. He watched me, again with a distracted look that made it clear that something was on his mind. I wanted to ask him if something was wrong, but I knew he would just say no and tell me to not worry about it. But I could not stop worrying. What if everything I predicted was true, and he really was sick? It was saddening to think that, so my good mood from the beach, in result, disappeared. I could not stand to continue playing with the water and sand with such a despondent mood on my shoulders, so I retreated away from the shore and sat next to Chase, hugging my knees and focusing my vision on the clean, yellow sand I wiggled my toes in.

"Something wrong?" Chase asked. "You were having a good time just a second ago, and now you look like you're about to cry."

I didn't answer right away and kept playing with the sand dully, not caring that it was sticking to my wet feet annoyingly. "Chase, please don't die… I don't want you to…" I said quietly to be sure my voice wouldn't crack from speaking too loud.

Chase eyebrows dug deep. "Molly, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

I glanced over to have a look at his face and could tell he was genuinely lost. "Last week, when you had that appointment at the clinic, you looked like you just heard some shocking news, so I only assumed that the doctor said something bad…"

He, at first, kept his eyebrows knitted together in bewilderment, but he then gasped with widened eyes and chuckled under his breath. "Oh, no, you've got it all wrong! I'm completely fine, I'm not dying."

I was relieved to hear that from him, but it didn't soothe my worries away. "But you've been acting so strange… Are you sure something else isn't bothering you?"

He frowned and gazed out to the ocean in front of us. "Molly? What was your life like before you came here?"

I was taken aback by the out-of-the-blue question. What did this have to do with him? Still, I didn't protest and answered him carefully. "It was…stressful," I said, trying my best to not have to lie in order to cover my tracks.

"What was stressful about it?"

His questions came out as blunt, but I could tell that he was picking his words cautiously.

I bit my lip and thought before I answered. "Well, I didn't have much freedom to do what I wanted," I said, again trying to not have to lie.

He nodded slowly. "Like being a prisoner in your home."

My eyes widened, and I forgot how to breathe for a moment. That was exactly how I described it to Gill. How could Chase of known? Could Gill have possibly told him? I thought I made it clear that if word gets out about me, I won't be able to stay at Castanet for much longer. Unless…it was only a coincidence that Chase used those exact words. My best strategy was to play it off as if there was nothing significant about what he said.

I tried a light chuckle, which unfortunately sounded quite awkward and nervous, to cover myself up. "Well, I wasn't going to say that, but that's an interesting way to put it!"

Chase wasn't convinced. He glanced over at me from the corner of his eyes and sighed. "You don't have to pretend."

My fake laughter stopped, and my mouth trembled. "You… You know?" I dared to ask.

He nodded. "Don't be mad, but I overheard your conversation with Gill. The night before, you were so petrified of him that I thought it was crazy that you would willingly meet with him."

It made perfect sense. He _was_ right in front of us when Gill made the arrangements. I wasn't mad at all that he eavesdropped into our conversation; I was more critical of my mistakes. How could I be so stupid as to allow Gill to speak of our meeting in public like that? I should have had him write it down on paper or something.

"So…you didn't actually go to the clinic that day for a check-up," I pieced together.

He shook his head. "I was hiding behind a bush at the entrance, and when I saw that Gill was about to leave the Church Grounds, I ran back into town so that he wouldn't catch me, but I think he might've saw me anyways. I just happened to stop in front of the clinic," he explained.

This explained why he was panting so heavily when I saw him. How could I have been so blind?

"Are you…going to tell?" I asked hesitantly.

"Why would I tell?"

"Because I ran away from home."

"No. I don't have the right to do something like that. If anybody should tell anybody, it should be you."

A weight that I wasn't aware of lifted off my chest, and my eyes moistened. "You don't realize how grateful I am to you for not telling people about me."

He smirked. He then stood up and began walking back to the path we were on before coming to this secluded beach. "Come on," he said as he walked off.

I ran after him to catch up. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"The festival," he said, not looking back.

"But I said you don't have to take me there if you don't want to," I reminded him.

"Yeah, and I said I'd take you, so I guess we're going."

My smile grew so large that it hurt my cheeks. Upon crossing the bridge to Flute Fields, I could see the glowing lanterns floating gracefully down the river below, and I nearly squealed when I saw some fireflies in the distance.

First, I wanted to send a lantern down the river like the other townspeople and learn the customs of the festival, so Chase led me to a tent where there was a table filled with already made paper lanterns that held a glowing stone inside. Little to my surprise, Gill was next to the tent. Of course he would be at the festival. He _is_ the mayor's only son and successor, after all.

"Hello, Molly, Chase," he greeted with a polite bow and a knowing smirk that irked me.

"Hello," we both said, not leaving any opening for a more than likely uncomfortable conversation.

"Molly," he started, "how is your farm doing? You haven't been slacking off, have you?"

My lips smacked against each other, and I forced a somewhat friendly smile. "It has only prospered within the week."

"Good. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to help my father put up more decorations."

"What an asshole," Chase muttered when he was gone.

I sighed. "At least he's consistent about it."

Chase laughed.

We moved on to picking out our lanterns. "It's about honoring your ancestors, right?" I asked, holding onto my green lantern. When Chase nodded, I closed my eyes and prayed for the grandparents and great-grandparents I never had the chance to know. I then released my lantern into the water, as if I had created a message in a bottle.

We then decided to find a place to look at the fireflies when we both heard a loud growl from my stomach. I didn't eat lunch or dinner before the festival, so I was famished. Embarrassed by my roaring stomach, my cheeks turned red. Luckily, it was dark out at this point, so hopefully he couldn't tell that I was blushing.

"I'm a little hungry," I stated quietly.

"I couldn't tell," he replied sarcastically. "I'm getting hungry too. They have a concession stand. I can go get us something while you find a spot," he offered.

As I searched for a comfortable, grassy spot, my eyes caught sight of Gill, who now sat next to the river's waterwheel, staring longingly at Luna. He looked lonely, and I almost felt bad for him.

"Molly!" I heard call my name. As if on cue, saw Luna coming my way in a half jog, which made her voluminous pink pigtails bounce. "You're wearing the dress. It looks _amazing _on you! I did a great job picking that dress out for you, huh?"

I giggled. "I love it, Luna."

Luna grinned triumphantly. "So, how's your date with Chase going?"

"It-It's not a date!" I fumed. Luna snickered. I could tell she got a kick out of teasing me about my love life. "W-What about you?" I asked. "Who are you here with?"

She crossed her arms and stomped her foot in a pout. "Hmph! Okay, you got me! I didn't have a date, so I tagged along with my sister, but I can tell she wants to go watch the fireflies alone with dumb Julius and leave me out to dry."

I glanced over her shoulder quickly to see if Gill was still looking at her. He was.

"Luna, why don't you ask Gill if he'll watch the fireflies with you," I proposed.

She raised an eyebrow. "Gill?" She turned to find out where he was, and when she saw him, she turned back to me with a doubtful face. "Mmm, I don't know, Molly-kins. I mean, he's cute and all, but I don't know him all that well. Don't you think it'd be awkward?"

"Well, maybe…but look on the bright side. It might _not_ be awkward!" I tried lamely. Luna still wasn't convinced, so I tried again. "Think about it this way: when your sister goes off with Julius, who else will be available to keep you company?"

Luna hung her head and moaned. "Sheesh, that makes me sound like such a loser…but you actually have a point…"

"So, you'll ask Gill to keep you company?"

"I guess so," she shrugged, looking in Gill's direction again. I watched as she made her way to Gill in a coy manner, and though I couldn't hear anything from where I was, I could see her speak to Gill. Even from where I was I could see his eye light up.

There's my good deed for the day.

Searching once again where to sit, I settled for a field of grass that had very small yellow and purple flowers growing and a large amount of fireflies to be seen up close. I didn't sit for long, for I wanted to play with the tiny bugs that danced in the air. Maybe it was because I've never seen them before, but these fireflies gave me a warm feeling inside that assured me that life was meant to be enjoyed just by gazing at their lit bodies.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." It was Chase, who was holding two paper plates filled with food. He handed me one of the plates. "I didn't know what you'd want, so I just got you that. You'd think that such a meaningful festival would have more sophisticated food."

I tilted my head to examine the food he gave me at every angle. It didn't seem to have any meat on it. I waited for a moment, but when I saw that he didn't have any silverware with him, I concluded that this food didn't require it. I had never eaten something so messy before. It looked to be just yellow circles smothered in melted cheese. I pinched the yellow circle and it crisply broke in my fingers. Maybe it was some kind of annual festival food.

"What do you call this?" I finally asked.

Chase blinked. "Are you talking about the nachos?"

"Nachos?"

He facepalmed. "Are you telling me that you've never eaten nachos before?"

"So, it's not just a festival food here?"

"Not exactly… It's more of an all-year-long-served-any-where kind of food."

I guess this was one of the many downs about being sheltered in a wealthy home: you don't get to experience things that would be considered common in a normal household.

"What are these?" I asked, pointing to the mysterious yellow circles.

"They're tortilla chips. You know, like potato chips, except they're made of corn flour instead of potatoes," Chase explained.

"I eat it with my hands?" I asked to be sure and not appear as if I was raised in a barn.

"Yes," he said, rubbing his temples. He looked like he was becoming rather impatient with my questions, so I finally tried it. It was crunchy, salty, and cheesy… I liked it, and I happily cleaned the plate. "I can't believe you didn't know what nachos were," he said. "Where did you say you were from?"

He actually wanted to know where I'm from. I could just tell him, but to what expense? I could easily trust him. I mean, he didn't even give a second thought when he said he wouldn't tell anybody I ran away, but…he doesn't know who I am. How would he react if I told him that I am, in fact, the only daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the country, one of the top twenty families in the world even? Who wouldn't freak out upon hearing something like that? What if he resented rich people? What if he would look at me differently? What if he became like people I knew before running away – pretending that I'm so wonderful and beautiful just because of the family I was born into. I don't want any of that. I don't want to be wonderful and beautiful. I don't want to be resented and labeled. I just want to normal like everyone else…

"The mainland," I said, licking the remaining cheese off my fingers.

"That's pretty vague. Isn't there a specific city you're from?"

I opened my mouth, but closed it back almost immediately. I was about to tell a lie and say I was from a large city called Riverton, which I made up. I imagined it to be one of those kinds of cities with a population of several digits, skyscrapers so tall that you would think they reached the heavens, the kind of city that was so huge that it was difficult to accurately where you were going if you didn't have a map or GPS. But I couldn't bring myself to tell him about that city. I hate how I had to lie to keep people from knowing the truth. Couldn't I just keep telling the truth, but keep it vague enough so that they wouldn't know? I've done it before…

"I didn't live in an actual city," I said truthfully. "My family owned their own property, so our home was built away from the nearby cities to have more room and space."

He raised an eyebrow. "Sounds expensive."

I chuckled nervously to stall long enough for me to think of an explanation that was completely true. "I-It wasn't too expensive for m-my family," I came up with.

Then, the conversation vanished from my memory for the moment when a firefly that had been flying nearby landed on my arm. I gasped with excitement, but I didn't dare to move; if I were to move, it would probably fly away.

I tapped Chase's hand with my other hand to get his attention, but as soon as I touched him, I felt a shock. It felt like static and made my body shiver in a chill, leaving goose bumps. I darted my vision to Chase and knew that he felt it too because he looked at me with the same expression I must have had: widened eyes accompanied with slightly furrowed eyebrows and lips apart from surprise and wonder at what that shock was. I didn't even realize that the firefly had long gone from my arm until I reluctantly pulled my hand away. I was blushing at this point, and this time it wasn't because my stomach had growled.

"Sorry…" I said, not sure what else I was supposed to say.

"Uh, yeah…"

I guess he didn't know what to say either.


	12. Happy Birthday

**** This story now has 106 reviews! Thank you so much, guys! Your support and encouragement really keeps me motivated. :)**

**Now, on to the next chapter! ****

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><p><span>Chapter 12<span>

The day after the Firefly Festival, I received an unexpected visitor to my farm. It was hot that day while I pulled weeds and watered my crops, and I all I wanted to do was get out of the sun to get a drink of water. It amazed me that it could get so hot when it was only the eighth day of summer. I didn't remember it being this hot in previous years, but perhaps that was because I never had to work on a field in this sort of temperature back then. The heat was all I could think about, so I didn't notice Gill slowly walking up to me until he cast a shadow on me while I was kneeling down to pull out even more pesky weeds.

I didn't know why he would be at my farm at all. My shipping income had only been increasing, and I don't recall doing anything that could possibly pose a threat to him. But when I stood up face-to-face with him, I saw that he didn't have the confident, determined look he usually wore when talking business with me.

"Hello, Gill," I greeted. "What brings you here today?"

He didn't speak right away. He looked confused with something he was thinking about. "Why did you do it?" he finally asked.

I was puzzled as to what he was talking about. "Pardon?"

"Why did you ask Luna to watch the fireflies with me at the festival?" he said. "I don't get it."

I smiled. "Because I could tell that you like her by the way you look at her."

His pale face reddened from the embarrassment of someone else knowing his secret. "Thank you for doing that for me." And with that, he briskly walked away without even a goodbye.

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><p>It was only a matter of time before the thirteenth of summer was to come.<p>

I didn't feel any older, and nobody had asked me what kind of birthday present I would like or what kind of celebration I would like, so it was as if it were a normal day.

I wondered what everyone at the mansion was doing since I wasn't there. I mean, you certainly can't hold a wedding if there isn't a bride.

The more I thought about the wedding, the more I began to wonder what a wedding on Castanet Island was like. I imagined the weddings to be held at Celesta Church, but I tried to picture an actual make-believe wedding in my head, I couldn't. I didn't know what the inside of the church even looked like. If it was half as nice as the outside, it must have been beautiful.

Deciding it was about time that I saw the inside, I set course for the Celesta Church. The inside had many long benches with a red velvet cushion on the seats and they left a path from the church doors to the altar. This must have been where the bride would walk through. I saw no one and listened to the soothing silence. This was perfect place someone could go if they needed to think over things.

I sat in one of the benches and began thinking, once again, about the wedding that was supposed to be held on my birthday. Father must have been disappointed with me for running, if even thought that I ran away. For all I knew, they could be thinking that I was kidnapped. Mother must have been freaking out about my absence from the one thing they have been preparing for my entire life. And Bryce… Poor Bryce… He must have been heartbroken… He was really looking forward to this, and I left him behind.

How could I be so heartless? But it wasn't like I didn't have a good reason to leave, right? I wasn't happy there. Every day that I was there I felt so empty, trapped, and void of motivation and excitement to continue to another day there. I couldn't keep living in a world where I felt trapped with people who only cared about my family's wealth, my looks, and social standing. What about other things? Did they care about what my favorite color was? Or what my favorite kind of music was? What my favorite food was? If I even had a favorite for those kinds of things? No. They didn't ask my opinions, and even if I did express them, it's not like they would listen. They would just pat me on the head and laugh because they thought I was making a joke.

"Hmm? I wasn't aware of someone else being here," I heard.

I looked up and saw that it was Perry, the church's young priest. He had blue hair in a bowl haircut and gentle, yellow eyes. He looked to only be a few years older than me, but his maturity was beyond his years. "Oh, hello, Perry," I said. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

He came to stand beside the bench I was sitting on. "Oh, no, no, no! I'm just surprised to see you here. Normally the townspeople don't so late in the day. Is there something I can do for you?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you, though. I just thought I'd look around and sit a little. It's a nice, quiet place to sit and think about stuff."

He nodded in agreement. "You're right. I like to just sit in here for hours, praying to the Harvest Goddess about life and confessing to her things I've done wrong. It always made me feel better afterwards."

"Things you've done wrong?" I said. I didn't know that someone as pure and smart as Perry was capable of doing the wrong thing.

"Yes," he replied. "I'm not proud of them, but I wouldn't dare to wish that they never happened because they helped me realize my mistakes and eventually do the right things," he wisely.

What he said made me think back on whether I made the right choice about running away and settling on the island. "How do you know when you've done the right thing?" I asked him.

"Hmm," he hummed, placing a hand on his chin in consideration. "Well, you have to rely on your instincts. If your heart is telling you that the choice you made will be beneficial in the long run and makes you genuinely happy, then you have found the right choice."

I sat and thought to myself. So, that was it – I made the right choice.

I smiled and stood. "Thank you for that, Perry. I should be going now."

"You're welcome," he said, though he probably didn't know why I was thanking him in the first place.

It was getting late, so I went to Brass Bar to get my dinner. When I opened the door, it was dark; the lights were off. Suddenly, the lights shot back on, and everyone – Kathy, Hayden, Luke, Maya, Chase, Luna, Gill, Owen, Bo, Pascal, and Mayor Hamilton - jumped out, yelling "Happy Birthday!" in unison, practically making me jump out of my skin from shock.

"We got her good!" Luke said, pumping his fist in the air in celebration.

"W-What is all of this?" I asked, looking frantically around.

"It's a surprise party, you dummy!" Kathy said, grabbing my hand and walking me away from the door.

"Did you like our surprise?" Mayor Hamilton asked loudly in his usual playful and jolly attitude.

"I think we scared her," Luna giggled. "But that serves her right for not telling us her birthday was today!"

"B-But I don't understand… How did you guys find out it was my birthday?" I asked, utterly puzzled.

"Gill told us yesterday," Kathy said, pointing him out.

Gill was by the register, talking to Hayden and Pascal until he caught sight of Kathy pointing at him and looked our way. I was stunned. I wasn't expecting him to do something like that for me. What did he have to gain? As far as I knew, nothing could be gained by telling everyone here that my birthday was today.

I smiled and went over to him. "Thank you," I sincerely said. "That was very kind of you."

He nodded with a small smile and held out his hand. "We got off on the wrong foot, though my misconceptions played a large role in it. For that, I apologize."

My smile grew when I could sense the honest geniality in his voice. I took his hand and shook it. "It's okay, Gill. I'm just glad that we can be friends!"

"Molly! Molly!" Maya called as she skipped merrily to me and began tugging on my shirtsleeve like a child. "Chase baked a cake for you! It looks so yummy!" she said, gazing over my shoulder.

I turned around to see Chase coming out of the kitchen with a large, white cake with my name on it. It had three layers to it and had exactly eighteen candles on its vanilla icing surface. He set it on a round table that everyone was generally around. My eyes were twinkling at the cake.

Normally, during my birthdays at the mansion, Shelley and her cooks would be instructed by my parents to make a giant cake that would tower to be even taller than me. I didn't understand why so much cake. It really was a waste since the only ones that would eat of piece of cake during my birthdays would be me, Father, and Bryce, but even then, we didn't eat more than a small slice; we never did have much of a sweet tooth. But I was

But this cake that Chase made was absolutely perfect to me. It wasn't too big, it didn't seem like he went too much out of his way to make it, and it looked like just the right amount for everyone to get a good piece and not leave leftovers.

"Molly, do you want to open presents or eat cake first?" Kathy asked.

My eyes widened slightly. "Y-You got me presents?"

"She wants to eat cake first!" Maya piped up, licking her lips lustfully as she gawked at the birthday cake.

"No, Molly!" Luna said. "You have to open what I got you. You'll love it!"

Chase rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Let her decide."

I decided on opening the presents first; I was very curious about what they got me. I first opened Luna's gift, on account of her eagerly shoving her gift in my face. Luna got me two silk blouses – one green and the other a light pink. I opened the other presents too: a simple, white skirt that ended just above my knees from Kathy, a frying pan and spatula from Maya, an upgraded axe from Luke, an upgraded hammer from Owen, three tree seedlings from Bo, books on the history of Castanet Island from Gill and Mayor Hamilton, a guarantee of five free meals from Hayden, and four tickets for a trip to the mainland and back from Pascal.

I loved every single gift I received, not because I could really put them to good use, but because they actually considered to give me something out of pure generosity. I couldn't ask for a better group of people to spend my birthday with.

I was about to give in to Maya's pleading regarding moving on to the cake when Kathy stopped me, yanking on Chase's apron, much to his dismay. "Wait, you didn't open Chase's present!" she said with a wink.

I blinked and said, "But I don't see anymore presents."

Kathy was one step ahead of me. She was behind the bar counter, reaching down to grab a small box with a tiny blue bow on top. She pranced back over to us and handed me the box. "Little Chase here was too embarrassed to give it to you," she teased, poking her elbow to his side.

Chase blushed and shot a dangerous glare at her. "I was not!"

I giggled at their usual bickering and openly the small box. Inside was a silver necklace that held a violet rose pendant. It made me think of the kind of roses I once dreamed about. I grinned at its beauty. It almost tempted me to change my favorite color from blue to violet. I looked at Chase, stilling grinning and said, "It's beautiful, Chase. Thank you so much!"

His blushed deepened, and he looked the other direction. "Yeah… You're welcome."

Then, to Maya's delight, it was time to gather around the cake. Kathy lit the eighteen candles and told me to make a wish. I had no idea what I should wish for, so I asked.

"I don't know," Kathy said with a shrug. "Wish for something you don't have that you really, really, really want."

I took a pause to look at the candles as I thought about what my wish should be. Then, I blew out the candles.

I didn't make a wish; I'm content with what I have now.


	13. The Tourist

Chapter 13

It had been days since my birthday. How many exactly? I had no idea. I didn't even know what day it was on my calendar. Weeks could have passed for all I knew. But I did know that the end of the season was going to come soon. And because of that, I was busier than I had ever been, trying to harvest as many crops as I can so that I don't waste even the smallest amount of potential income. Everyday, I would have to harvest crates worth of produce. I don't know why the crops suddenly decided to give me so much food, but I didn't complain. Why would I? I was making more profits than ever, and I could finally afford to expand my farm a little by buying a lamb, which I named Cloud, and three chickens I named Kora, Frey, and Clucky. Chase thought the names I gave them were funny and ironic. I didn't see how they were, but if they were ironic, it was completely unintentional.

I had asked Renee to help me take care of the animals so that I could focus most of my time on taking care of the crops and harvesting them. She said she would do it for free, but I paid her what I could anyways for her help.

While she was herding the animals back into the barn and coop, I glanced to see three figures bolting down the trail from Garmon Mines. I recognized the three as Luke, Owen, and Bo. They looked as if they were being chased by an axe murderer and were running for their dear lives. It was definitely strange to randomly see them run so fast, even if they were having some sort of race. As they were passing the farmhouse, Luke yelled something to Bo about running faster, and suddenly, Bo tripped. Luke and Owen were too far ahead of him to notice, and they continued to run towards Harmonica Town. I dropped what I was doing in the fields and rushed to help Bo up from the ground.

"Thanks, Molly," he said, dusting the dirt from his clothes.

I nodded. "You're welcome. If you don't mind me asking, what were you three in such a hurry for?"

"Don't you know?" he asked in disbelief. "Everybody's been talking about it all week!"

I only blinked confusedly, not knowing at all what he was talking about. I had been so busy with the farm that I didn't want to get distracted while I was away from the farm. I would take care of my business and go straight back to the farm, even after eating at the bar. Apparently I neglected to hear something so big that it would keep the townspeople talking for days about it.

When Bo saw that I really didn't know anything, he explained. "Pascal was called to bring a visitor here from the mainland last week, and they're supposed to arrive at the docks today at noon. We don't get a lot of tourists around here, so we wanted to get there and make a good first impression with them as soon as they got off the ship." Bo then looked up at the sky and said, "I've gotta go, Molly. See ya later!" And then Bo dashed off faster than how he was before to most likely make up for the time he lost talking to me.

I thought about what he said, and it got me thinking. What could Castanet Island have that a tourist from the mainland would want to see? There wasn't anything historically significant that a typical mainlander would find interesting. The only other thing I could think of was that this tourist was looking for a quiet place to take a vacation. Castanet would be the perfect place to go to, if most people knew about it. I had never heard of Castanet until I accidentally came here on Pascal's ship. I had never seen it on a map either.

It would have been nice to go down to the docks to meet this tourist and ask how they found Castanet Island, but I decided against it. I was much too busy working on the fields, and I couldn't risk losing track of time with a distraction and getting behind on my work. So, I ignored the fact that a visitor was coming to the island and went back to taking care of the crops.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted, hungry, and sweaty. I went inside the farmhouse to take a shower, which washed away sweat and dirt and relaxed my sore muscles. I dressed into the light pink blouse and white skirt I got for my birthday and wrapped the violet rose necklace, which I had grown accustomed to wearing everyday after work, around my neck. As I was combing my hair, I saw that my blonde roots were beginning to invade the dyed brown. I bit the inside of my cheek in annoyance and searched for something that could hide it. I found a brown hat and hid my roots with it. I would have to buy some hair dye the next time I was free.

Craving a serving of Chase's vegetable stir-fry, I walked to the bar, though very slowly, for my muscles were still feeling sore. Sitting in the bar stool after the walk was such a relief on my heavy legs.

"So, how was your dinner last night?" Chase asked with a smirk as he was finishing my order of stir-fry.

Chase had somehow convinced me to try cook my own dinner with the ingredients and utensils available to me. I was hesitant, but he made good point that I won't get any better if I don't try. "It wasn't the best thing in the world," I said, which was a major understatement. I had to wash my mouth out after the first bite.

He sighed. "Please don't tell me you just added random ingredients and called it a dish."

I played with the rose pendant on my necklace and said with a shrug, "It sounded good in my head." This was why I liked eating at the bar instead of cooking myself: it was guaranteed that I would get a good meal.

Chase noticed me twirling the pendant he gave me in my fingers. "You're wearing it again. I'm surprised you actually like it," he said.

I smiled. "I love it! You know, I once had a dream with violet roses in it."

Chase raised an eyebrow. "What a coincidence, considering people normally don't think of roses being violet."

"Well, they should," I insisted. "Violet is a very beautiful color, and on a rose, it only makes it even more beautiful."

I could then pick out the sound of Kathy's boots prancing to the entrance of the bar as someone opened it. "Welcome!" she greeted loudly and enthusiastically. "Can I help ya find a table?"

"No, but can you tell me if you recognize this girl," the person at the door said.

The person's voice froze me and caused my heart to skip a beat from the shock. I swallowed hard, convincing myself that I was mistaken. But that voice… I recognized it. I could easily fit a face with it. But it couldn't be possible! How could he have found me? There was no way he could have found me. Thinking about it made my stomach tie up in knots, and as much as I wanted them untied, I couldn't stop thinking about it. There were too many questions forming in my mind.

Chase glanced over my shoulder to see whom Kathy was greeting so enthusiastically. "Ah," he said, "looks like the tourist is here." He looked back at me, and his eyebrows furrowed, worry on his face. "What? What's wrong?"

I didn't answer him. I broke my frozen state and lowered my head to stare at the bar counter's wooden surface as I continued to listen to Kathy talk to the person. I knew who it was, but I had to see it for myself. I slowly turned my head and shoulders around just enough to get a good look at the person without being obvious. Anything in me that had hoped I was mistaken had dyed right then when I confirmed who it was.

It was Bryce.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>** Again, sorry for the shortness, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer than you already have. Next chapter will be much longer.<br>****

**Also, if you didn't catch why Chase thought the names for the three chickens were funny: the first initials in Kora, Frey, and Clucky spell out KFC. Haha, get it? xD** ******


	14. Discovered

**** You must hate me for giving you that cliffhanger last chapter, huh? Sorry for torturing you! xD ****

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 14<span>

I turned back around and buried my face in my arms on the counter, trying to make it seem like I was sleeping. Covering my face was my only chance of him not recognizing me. I could hear his footsteps coming closer and closer to the bar counter where Chase and I were. I could feel Chase's eyes on me, so I moved my head just enough out of my folded arms to peek one eye at him. I looked at him, trying desperately to telepathically tell him about Bryce and what will happen if he sees me. But I don't know telepathy. All I could do was make eye contact and try my best to portray the panic I was feeling through the one eye I was peeking from.

"Pardon me," I heard Bryce say. Judging by the direction his voice was coming from and by its volume level, he was no more than five feet away to my left. "I was hoping if perhaps you could tell me if you recognize the girl in this picture," he said.

I discreetly moved so that I could get a better view of what Bryce was doing as well. Luckily, he didn't notice. One glance of his face made my heart drop. He looked terrible. His usually neat, brown hair was now messy, he had dark circles under his green eyes, and his skin was about two shades paler than I remembered it being. I had never seen him look so distressed in my life. Normally, he was very carefree and happy, but now he looked exhausted and was about to have a breakdown. And it was all my fault. If I hadn't have run away, he wouldn't have been so worried about me.

Chase looked at the picture Bryce showed him, and his violet eyes widened slightly as I heard a faint gasp come from him. Of course, Bryce must have shown him a picture from when I still had blonde hair. By Chase's reaction, it was safe to say that he recognized me, and when he shot a quick glance at me from the corner of his eye, I was surprised by the look of pity he gave me. He closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry. I don't know the girl in the picture," he told Bryce.

Bryce's eyebrows furrowed in disappointment. "Are you sure you haven't?" he tried again, this time more desperate. "Her name is Margaret Montgomery, but she likes to be called Molly."

He shook his head again. "I'm sure."

"Very well…" Bryce made another disappointed face and glazed his view over to my direction. Thankfully, I closed my eyes before he could notice that I was actually awake and listening. Having my eyes closed while he was so close scared me. Apart of me thought that he would suddenly grab me while I wasn't expecting it and carry me against my will onto a ship.

Then, I heard Chase say, "Don't bother. You'd be lucky to wake her after all of the work she's been doing on the farm lately."

"She's a resident, then?"

"Has been for a while."

There was a small pause. "Well, if you by chance happen to see her within the next day or two I'm here, you can find me at the Ocarina Inn nearby."

After a long moment of silence, I suspected him to be gone, but I didn't chance it by lifting my head up.

"He's gone," Chase said.

I lifted my head up and looked behind me and around the room to be sure – no sign of him. I let out a sigh of relief, but I was still shaken and panicky from the unluckiness of the scene. The mixture of relief and panic was overwhelming, and it confused me that I didn't know which I should have been feeling. I should have been relieved because he didn't identify me, but I should have been panicking because there was a chance that I could run into him now that he was on this island looking for me.

"Molly," Chase said sternly, "how do you know that guy?"

I parted my lips to speak, but nothing was coming out. I didn't know what to do or how to explain this to him. I felt as if I was a guilty murderer being interrogated by a detective that wouldn't be happy with either way I told my story. Plus, the longer I waited to answer, the more the pressure and panic started to drown what relief I originally had and cause my eyes to get teary. I didn't want him to see me cry, and I knew that I would start to any second. So, I bolted from my bar stool and out of the building, not caring that I didn't even get to eat my dinner. I ran, feeling the tears fall like I predicted they would. But it wasn't like I was running aimlessly into town; I knew where I wanted to go only a few moments after I left the bar. I ran until I finally reached the other side of town and at my destination, I pounded on a blue door, ignoring the fact that there was already a doorbell.

It was Gill that answered the door. "What are you doing here this late?" he said, annoyed.

"You have to get rid of him!" I cried, grabbing a hold of his shirtsleeve.

He was surprised by my outburst and pulled his arm to free himself of my grip. "Calm down," he said rationally. "Now, what are you talking about?"

His collected attitude irked me a little. He was so calm while I was freaking out right in front of him. It was as if my problem wasn't important or urgent enough to be too concerned with. "The tourist! We knew each other before I ran away! You have to get rid of him as soon as possible. Ban him or something from the island. Anything to get him out of here without letting him see me. If he sees me, it'll all be over. Do you understand me? I'll have to leave the island!"

He held up a hand to stop me. "Molly, you need to breath. Listen, I understand your predicament, but I can't help you."

"Why not?" I demanded.

"I can't just kick people off this island without any kind of reason to give the townspeople, and unless you want to explain the _real_ reason to the entire town, we don't have an acceptable reason to give them. The residents on this island love to see newcomers, and they will be very upset if we just drove one out without any justice behind it. I'm sorry, but there's really nothing I can do."

He was right. He wouldn't be about to do anything about Bryce without angering the rest of the townspeople. "Well, what am I supposed to do?" I said. "If he sees me, there's no reason to believe that I won't be forced to leave and abandon Timpani Farm."

"I know that," he said with an exasperated sigh. "Look, he told my father that he will only be staying here for a maximum of a few days. You'll just have to avoid him by any means necessary until he leaves. I'll try my best to direct him away from Timpani Farm as much as possible, but that's all I can really do."

Unsatisfied and frustrated by the lack of help I got, I left to walk back home to the farm. It was disappointing to hear that Gill couldn't help me, but I tried looking at it from his perspective. Like he said, he couldn't kick Bryce off the island without a good reason. At least when he threatened to kick me off, he could have proven to the townspeople that I was a suspicious character.

Counting the small steps I took across the stone bridge that separates Harmonica Town from the very southwest edge of my farm, I thought about when Chase covered for me. He didn't have to do that for me. If he really wanted, he could have handed me over to Bryce the second he realized Bryce was searching for me. He might have even got a reward or something for it. And I didn't even thank him for what he did.

Suddenly, I heard someone yell a "Hey!" accompanied with the sound of feet along the town's flat path. I turned around, but I turned back and pretended to not hear a thing when I saw that it was Bryce waving his hand to halt me as he ran from Sonata Tailoring's doorstep. My body stiffened, and I quickened my pace. But it was useless to pretend that I didn't notice him for very long because he soon caught up to me and tapped me lightly on my shoulder.

This was it. This was the moment when Bryce was sure to discover me. A defeated feeling came over me as I lowered my head to hide the hopelessness that I was sure must have clearly been visible in my eyes.

"Pardon me, miss," Bryce started politely, but once he was close enough to get a good look at my face. "H-Have we met before?" he said, now stunned. He must have recognized me but was probably confused about why I had brown hair instead of blonde.

I bit my lip. I knew it was all over, but I didn't want to give up so easy. "No…"

His eyebrows dug deeper as he tilted his head to view my face at a better angle. "Molly? Is…is that really you?"

My eyes closed, and I turned completely around to look at him face-to-face. I sighed deeply. "Hello, Bryce…"

He gasped, and before I could do anything to defend myself, he wrapped his arms around me tightly. It felt good to see the relief on his face and feel the warmth from his hug. This was the first time in weeks that I was certain that he wasn't going crazy about my disappearance. I hugged him back and buried my face against his shoulder. It would never have dawned on me that I actually missed him until I felt one of the gentle, secure, warm hugs he would always give me when I felt my worst at the mansion.

Chocking out a laugh, he said, "I can't believe I finally found you." He let me go and held both of my hands firmly in his as he looked me hard in the face. "Now, Molly, you don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm sure no one is listening in on us, so you don't have to cover for them."

My eyes narrowed in utter confusion. "Excuse me? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No, I promise, you're okay now!" he pressed. "You can tell me. Are you okay? Who did this to you? Who was the one that took you away from home?"

He thought someone had kidnapped me. If he thought this, there was a good chance that my parents did too. The possibility that they would think this did cross my mind at one point, but the fact that they actually thought this in real life almost baffled me. "Bryce, I wasn't kidnapped, if that's what you think," I said looking him in the eyes to be certain he could see that I was telling the truth and not covering up for my supposed kidnapper. His lips parted, but he looked lost. "I ran away," I said.

His eyes widened and he said in anger, "What? Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how dangerous and stupid that is? Why on earth would you do something like that?"

I shook my head. "You wouldn't have understood…"

This didn't calm him down, but only made him angrier. This might have been the angriest I had ever saw him before. "Understand?" he repeated. "Understand what? That you ran off without a word, worried everyone that had even the most remote connection with your family, skipped our own wedding - a wedding that we have been waiting our entire lives to attend - and turn your back as the heir of your father's business? I guess you're right. I don't understand."

I pulled my hands away from his, hurt by his inconsideration. "That's exactly what I mean. You don't know how I felt… I felt so out of place and trapped, like a caged hamster. I was lonely and second-guessed every nice thing people said to me, even you and my own parents. Nobody seemed to care or notice how I felt, besides Shelley."

"Shelley?"

"She was the head chef. You've seen her before a few times."

He shrugged off the talk of Shelley. It didn't have to do with the real reason we were talking anyways. "Molly, you could have told me…"

"No, I couldn't," I said. "Nobody, not even you, would have taken me seriously unless I did something drastic like running away."

"Well, now I know how you felt," he said, though I could tell that he really didn't. "I promise, it will be different once we're back and – "

I cut him off as soon as he began to get the wrong idea. "I'm not going back."

He stopped and looked at me for a moment. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Yes, I am."

A pained expression, which could have only came from hurt feelings, appeared on his face. "You know, I came out here on my own to look for you," he said softly. "Both of our parents don't even know that I'm here…"

"How did you know I was on this island?" I had to ask.

He cracked a smirk and shook his head. "I didn't. It was pure luck that I found you here." His smirk grew once I began to smile. "Say, are you hungry? The place I'm staying at has been offering me free food, so maybe I can talk them into letting you have a free one too." He then caught on to my hesitation. "Oh, come on," he said with a chuckle. "I just want to have dinner with you after not seeing you for so long. You don't think I'm going to kidnap you, do you? You know me better than that."

My smile grew wider when I could see that he held no bad intentions like I previously thought. "Actually," I said, "I normally eat at a bar in town, if you don't mind going there instead."

Bryce was happy to go wherever I wanted. Inside the bar, Kathy greeted us as friendly as ever, and I showed Bryce to where I normally sat. Chase was surprised to see me again, much less with Bryce now by my side. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, glancing concerned looks between Bryce and me.

I nodded and backed it up with a smile. "Sorry for running out on you like that earlier. You didn't deserve that."

He accepted my apology, and when I told him that we were going to eat, he insolently took Bryce's order and began to remake mine. He was more attentive of us as we talked and would even seem reluctant to turn around to face the stove in order to cook, for he would not be able to watch over Bryce with a suspicious eye.

"You've changed," Bryce said to me. "You're like a completely different person."

I ran my fingers through the midsection of my hair and down. "Well, I had to do something for a disguise. Besides, I like it much better this way."

He shook his head. "Not your hair. I meant the way you act. You look so happy…"

Before I could say anything, Chase placed our food in front of us. Giving him a glare, he asked Bryce, "So, how do you two know each other?"

"She's my fiancée," Bryce replied, as if it were completely normal and not a big deal.

Chase didn't seem to buy it at first. He saw me shift uncomfortably in my seat, not denying a thing. He then grunted. "Well, congrats to the happy couple," he said sarcastically.

Normally, someone would take offense to this, but Bryce didn't. He only took turns staring at me and Chase, as if studying our reactions to the conversation. Bryce lowered his eyes with his eyebrows slightly pulling together, and he then quit his stares to silently finish his food. It made me wonder what he was thinking.

As soon as Bryce ate his last bite of grilled fish, someone then burst through the door and excitedly made their way to us. "Chase!" she called. "I brought a winner this time!" It was Maya, who was now setting down a plate of what looked like tacos onto the bar counter.

"I haven't tried it, and I already know it's a loser," Chase scoffed.

Maya tried to coax a taco into Chase's mouth. "They're tacos! It's impossible for them to taste bad!"

Bryce's eyebrows rose. "Oh, it's the girl from Ocarina Inn."

Maya abruptly stopped what she was doing and turned to see Bryce. She gasped and gave a bright smile. "Oh, it's you! I'll bet you would want to try my tacos!"

"Umm…" I said, unsure. Maya wasn't known for her great cooking. I heard from Chase that she once replaced the pot of soup her grandmother prepared for a birthday party that Ocarina Inn was hosting with a pot of her own homemade soup. More than half of the guests were sick in bed the day after. "I don't think - " I tried, but Chase cut me off.

"I'm sure he'd be delighted to try your food," Chase said with a sly smirk.

Maya brightened. She grabbed the plate him one hand and tugged on Bryce's arm with the other towards the exit. "C'mon! I have to get Granny to witness you saying how good it is!"

"Uh, well, I suppose I could try your dish," Bryce said with an awkward laugh. He must not have wanted to hurt her feelings by saying no. "But perhaps I should walk Molly home first. Wouldn't you like me to Molly? It _is_ getting dark."

"I don't need anyone to walk me, but - " I said, but was once again interrupted by Chase.

"You shouldn't worry about her," Chase told him. "It's safe to walk alone at night around here. Besides, she isn't even done with her food."

Bryce took his word for it. "Well, then, I'll see you in the morning, Molly. Please be safe on your way back."

"Buh-bye, Molly!" Maya said as she tugged Bryce gradually out of the bar. It was like watching someone board a plane that you knew was destined to crash.

I sighed and gave Chase a look. "You of all people know what will happen when he eats those tacos."

He shrugged. "Maybe she got it right this time."

"Or maybe you just don't like him."

Another shrug. "That too."

"Why don't you like him?"

"Besides the fact that he's going to take you away from here?"

"I'm not going back," I said, wanting to make that clear.

"Did he _say_ that he wasn't going to take you back?"

I hesitated. "No…"

He exhaled, as if letting out the built up frustration I was sure he was feeling. "Then, I guess you'll be leaving and eventually get married to him…"

It was like a stab to the heart. I don't know why it made me feel the way I did – hurt, saddened – when he said that. "But I don't want to marry him," I said, my throat suddenly so dry that every word I said came out raspy.

The corner of his lips twitched up. He laughed lightly under his breath as he rolled his eyes. "Just eat the rest of your food."

* * *

><p><strong>** Those that don't already know: if you were a reader of <span>The Harmonica High Bet<span>****, you'll be glad to know that I have started the sequel to it (A New Chapter in Life).** **I have 2 chapters of it up so far, I think. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! ****


	15. Visiting the Visitor

Chapter 15

After meeting Bryce yesterday, I decided that I should visit him at Ocarina Inn. There were still some things I wanted to talk to him about, mostly concerning my future in Castanet. I knew that I would have to be the one to visit him and not vice versa; he must have eaten Maya's tacos, so it was very likely that he got sick.

But I had to finish my work first. Just because something unexpected came along didn't mean I was allowed to slack off on my work. And until these summer crops stopped giving me something to water and harvest constantly, I couldn't ignore them. This was my source of income, my way of living on this island. I have to work to live now. But at least I still had Renee tending to the animals during this busy summer, so that knocked off a little time I could spend on other things besides work.

As soon as I had finished getting dressed for the day, I heard someone knock at my front door. Who could it have been? I wasn't expecting anyone to come by, especially so early in the morning. I'm not sure why I was this paranoid, but it crossed my mind that it was a squad of men, hired by Bryce, here to take me away from the farm. Cautiously, I opened the door. To my relief, it was none other than Luke and Bo.

"Hey, guys," I said, glad to see them instead of a police squad.

"Hi, Molly," Bo greeted with a natural smile.

"Come have breakfast with us!" Luke abruptly spouted with an excited grin on his lips.

The sudden request caught me off guard. "Uh, g-good morning to you too?"

Bo laughed softly. "Luke wants you to come have breakfast with us and meet his dad," he said to clear thing up for me.

"C'mon, Molly!" Luke said, tugging on my arm. "You've gotta eat sometime!"

I thought about it for a second. I remembered the time when I first met Luke and Bo. Luke really wanted me to visit them and meet his father. I said I would one day, but I just never got around to it. "Okay," I accepted, "but I can't stay out too long."

Luke had his moment of punching the air above him, and then we were off for the Carpentry. When there, I saw a big man with a blue ponytail and a large mustache, whom I could only assume was Luke's father, in the kitchen area, cooking up pan of sizzling bacon.

"Hey, Pops!" Luke said loudly. "I brought Molly!"

I wasn't sure what to expect Luke's father to be like, but if he was anything like his son, he must have been excitable, childish, and carefree. Still, I was raised to be respectful to my elders, no matter what they were like – old, young, mean, nice, childish, mature – and that was an old habit that was hard to disregard.

"Hello, sir," I said, bowing. "I'm Molly. It's very nice to meet you."

Luke's father seemed pleasantly surprised by my greeting and turned to Luke. "Why can't you be that polite?"

Luke scratched his head and groaned. "Geez… Love you too, Pops."

"People say she's always this nice, Boss," Bo said.

I didn't people talked about me. I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or bad thing.

"Well, I'm Dale, owner of the Carpentry," Luke's father said. "Nice to meet you, Molly." He shook my hand. I never put much thought into how small my hands were until I shook his hand. They must have been at least three times larger than mine. "You hungry?" Dale asks.

They seated me to a table, and within minutes, the table was covered in plates of various breakfast items. I could hardly even see the brown wood from the table, only a peek of brown in between the white plates. I couldn't remember if I had already told them, or if they just heard from someone else, but I could tell they knew that I didn't eat meat because they seemed to distance the sausage and bacon and ham as far as they could away from my side of the table as if it were toxic. It wasn't necessary at all – I could have easily just reached around the plates of meat to get what I wanted – but I appreciated the consideration and thought, nonetheless.

Dale must have noticed that my eyes were as wide as those plates, and he chuckled. "We eat a hearty breakfast here."

"Yeah," Luke said with his mouth already full of pancakes. Though, when I looked down at his plate, there were very apparent green splotches in his plate of pancakes.

"Luke?" I piped up. "What are those green spots in your food?"

Luke was still chewing his over-filled mouth full of food, so he merely grinned and hummed a "Mmmm," in reply.

"It's spinach. He puts spinach and mayonnaise in everything," Bo said.

"There's not…mayonnaise in those pancakes, is there?" I hesitated to ask.

"No," Dale said. "I won't allow for putting something as weird as mayonnaise in pancakes."

I could already imagine the things Chase would have said if he were there having breakfast with us.

Everyone grabbed what they wanted from the plates on the table. I chose two non-green pancakes with maple syrup, a plain biscuit that I planned to put grape jelly in, and an orange.

"You boys never did tell me about that visitor that came to the island yesterday. Is he looking to build a house?" Dale asked as he spread some butter on his pancakes and toast.

I shrunk a little in my seat and made sure I was to stay quiet. It was obvious they were talking about Bryce, so it was best to stay clear of getting too involved in the conversation. If I even whispered in the quietest that I actually knew him, they would definitely bombard me with questions. _How do you know him? Where did you meet? Are you close? _

I continued to eat my breakfast and let the others talk.

"No," Bo answered. "He said his name's Bryce. He's only going to be around for a few days, so he's not staying."

"Molly, did you get to meet him yet?" Luke asked.

I paused for a moment to mull over how to dance around the subject without having to lie. "Yes, I did," I said.

"What'd you think of him? Do you think he's the kind of character to cause trouble?" Dale asked.

I shook my head. "Oh, I don't think he would cause any problems. He's very nice and polite."

Bo nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, but he didn't talk to us for very long. He said he was looking for a someone," he said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. I nervously fiddled with my fingers under the kitchen table in reaction.

"Guess what, Molly!" Luke said excitedly. "The chick he was looking for is named Molly too! Even looks like you a little in the face from that picture he showed us."

My stomach turned and was tying itself into knots. This conversation was becoming dangerous. I wanted to leave immediately, but that would only cause a scene and raise suspicion. I decided to just stick with vaguely answering them and hope that the subject would eventually die out. "Oh, yeah? What a coincidence," I said.

"Yeah, I bet he got excited when he met you, huh?"

I couldn't think of a response to that, so I merely said, "Yeah," followed by a light laugh in attempt to brush off what we were talking about. It seemed to work because afterwards, nobody said anything else that would connect me with Bryce They mostly talked about if Bryce would ever consider moving to Castanet Island, which I knew wouldn't happen, though I didn't say.

After breakfast, Luke and Bo offered to help me with my work on the crops today since it was their day off. According to them, they didn't have anything better to do, so I graciously thanked them. It was amazing how fast my work got finished when I had two extra pair of hands working on the farm.

Like Renee, they didn't ask for any type of payment, they were just happy to help out. I remembered when I tried to think of something she would want. At first I tried offering one of the four tickets to the mainland I got on my birthday to her, seeing as I didn't know what to do with the extra three, but she had no interest in leaving the island for anything. Then, I tried offering her something more practical, like food I've grown on the farm, but she refused that too.

I hoped that Luke and Bo wouldn't be as stubborn as Renee was. I knew they were interested in the mainland, so I asked them if they would accept a ticket each to the mainland. I couldn't help but laugh at their faces when I handed them the tickets. Their eyes beamed, and they grinned the largest grins I have ever seen on human beings, even for Luke. They wouldn't stop thanking me, so I had to repeatedly remind them that the tickets were my way of saying thanks.

Luke and Bo said that they were going back home to rub the tickets in Owen's face, so we split up from there, which was fine with me. I wanted to visit Bryce after my work was done, and I wouldn't have been able to do that if they were going to tag along.

I changed out of my dirty farming clothes and into a pair of denim jeans, a simple white tee shirt, my white sandals, and the violet rose pendant I wore everyday. I combed through my tangled hair. My blonde roots were still there, so I placed the brown hat I had been wearing back on my head to conceal them.

I walked to Ocarina Inn alone, and when I went through the door, Colleen immediately greeted me. "Good morning, Molly," she said kindly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

As far as they knew, I hardly knew Bryce. So, how strange would it sound to them that I wanted to visit him? "I was wondering if I could possibly visit Bryce," I said.

"Oh, of course you can! But I have to warn you that he's not feeling well after eating some bad food last night."

Colleen showed me to Bryce's room and knocked on the door. We heard Bryce's voice say come in, and Colleen left me to enter alone. Bryce was there, still in bed, and Maya, who was sitting in a chair beside his bed, her head hung low as she stared at her lap. She looked so sad. I had never seen her quite like this before.

"Oh, Molly," Bryce said, his emerald eyes lighting up.

Maya looked up, and when she saw me, I could tell that the smile she put on was forced. "Hi, Molly! I didn't know you were coming here today."

"Maya?" Bryce said. "Do you mind if Molly and I have a moment alone?"

Maya nodded and left the room.

I sat in the chair Maya was previously in. "Is she okay?" I asked Bryce.

"I got sick from eating the food she wanted me to try last night, and now she feels terrible about it."

We remained quiet and still for a while. I wasn't sure how we were going to start. I knew I wanted to talk about my situation and explain myself, and I was sure Bryce would want to hear, but I didn't know how to go about it.

He sat up, leaving the blankets only on the lower half of his body. "I hear from the people here that you run a farm not too far from town," he said quietly.

"I do… It's called Timpani Farm. It's a lot of hard work, but I love it very much."

He gave a sad smile. "Have you…always wanted to run a farm?"

"No. I never imagined in a million years that I would own a farm by myself. It just sort of happened when I came here…"

We were quiet again. Bryce sighed. "Molly… I wish I could understand you better. I don't know if you could tell, but I didn't get very much sleep after I heard that you disappeared. That's why…I just want to know why you did it."

I looked to the ground to think for a moment, to think of a way to explain it to where he would understand. "When you eat cake, you love it, don't you?" I asked. He was confused and didn't answer, so I continued. "But when you eat it over and over again, you get sick of it, sometimes to the point where you can't stand the thought of eating it. Suddenly, it's not tasty and good anymore, and you, from then on, associate it with undesirable foods."

"I'm not exactly sure what this has to do with anything…"

"Back at the mansion, people would compliment me over and over again…"

I heard him breath in. I glanced up to see his face. His lips were apart and I had his full attention.

I went on. "Normally, people feel good when others compliment their appearance. But when someone hears it repeatedly, it loses its meaning."

"Maybe everyone always complimented you because it was true," Bryce said.

"You're forgetting what family I was born into. I'm the only daughter of one of the most powerful and wealthiest families in the country! That's reason enough to try get on my good side by giving such meaningless and shallow compliments… Every time someone would tell me I'm beautiful, I always asked myself if they truly meant what they said. I never felt as special as people made me out to be. What if I looked utterly repulsive? Would they honestly tell me? The answer's is no. You can't get on someone's good side by telling them that. It's caused me to question every little nice thing that people do or say to me, even my parents. I especially hated my hair. I never heard the end of how 'beautiful' it was."

"Molly…"

"I felt empty and without any real purpose there. And all of the rules I was expected to follow… To everyone, I was a beautiful and perfect lady, so I felt pressured to live up to that. But I didn't feel like I was anything they expected me to be. I felt far from beautiful and perfect. And the worst part about it was that I knew there wasn't any other place I could go. A Montgomery doesn't belong anywhere else, and yet I felt certain that I didn't belong there either, like I didn't belong anywhere. I was trapped and couldn't find a way out…"

"Molly…" He held my hand. "Please…just stop crying."

"What?" I was stunned. What did he mean by that? I lifted my other hand and felt under my eyes. It was wet. Unbelievable. I was so caught up with what I was saying that I became so unaware of everything around me and didn't realize that I had been crying the entire time. I wiped my cheeks with my hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that I was crying."

Bryce waited for me as I made sure my face tear-free before he spoke. "I'm really sorry, Molly."

"Sorry? Oh, I wasn't looking any sort of apology from you," I reassured him.

"Well, I feel that I should, at least in behalf of myself and everyone else. I feel horrible, to think that you felt this way the entire time and I was completely oblivious."

"The last thing I want is for you to feel sorry for me. I'm not like how I was anymore! I'm very happy here and I've made so many friends…"

"I can tell," he said, actually smiling this time.

"And I'm really sorry for all of the trouble and worry I gave you and my family. There were so many times where I would feel guilty about leaving how I did, but…I had to go. I hope someday you'll forgive me for what I have done."

He didn't say anything. He only looked at me for some time, and then he lowered his head to look at the yellow blankets on him. "You never wanted to get married, did you?"

Why did he have to ask that? How was I supposed to answer that in a way that wouldn't upset him? The problem was that there wasn't a way to do that, no matter how I worded it in my head. I would still be rejecting him and hurting him in the process. It wasn't like I could forget about telling the truth and just lie to him; he obviously knew the answer already. My only guess was that he wanted to hear it from me for himself.

"I didn't want to get married," I said.

He nodded slowly, still refusing to look at me. "You know, when I heard that you were gone, I was prepared to start looking for you, but both of our parents told me to stay and wait for the wedding. They were expecting you to be home by then. When you never came home…I don't know. I couldn't stand sitting around and waiting for you to come back. So, I went off by myself to find you. I didn't know where I was going. I randomly searched several towns that your parents didn't already have searched. Eventually, I went to a beach town not too far from your home. I had heard from a resident there that a ship has a set course from the beach town to an island I had never heard of. I didn't see the harm in searching the island too since I failed to find you anywhere else, so I made arrangements and boarded the ship. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't think that I would actually find you here."

"Now that you've found me…" I couldn't finish the rest. The lump in my throat was warning me that I was going to start crying soon.

Bryce frowned. He ran his fingers through his brown hair with a deep sigh. "I told you already that nobody from home knows that I'm here. I haven't spoken to anyone from home since I've left to find you. If I just left you here and went home and told them that I couldn't find you…"

My eyes widened. "Y-You're not serious, are you?" _Please be serious._

"You're so happy here, and there's not much left for you to go back to…"

Tears were falling now. I didn't care. I didn't wipe them away. I wanted this feeling to last for as long as I could and wiping them away would only distract me from it. "You…don't know how…happy I am to…hear you…say this," I said in between my hiccuped sobs.

"I'm happy as long as you are." He paused. "I'm supposed to be leaving tomorrow. Can you promise me that you'll say goodbye to me before I get on the ship?"

This was unreal. Bryce finally found me, and he's willing to leave me here and not tell anyone. This must have been a too-good-to-be-true dream. But however many times I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again, Bryce was still sitting in front of me, waiting for an answer. I wasn't dreaming. This was real.

"I promise."

* * *

><p><strong>** I appreciate everyone's patience with my slow updates. I'm totally fine with everyone bugging me to update when the absence gets too long for you. xP<strong>

**Also, I published a new Chase one-shot about a week ago, if you're interested in that. It's called Hydophobic.**

**Thank you for reading! :) ****


	16. Goodbye at the Dock

**** Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. :) ****

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 16<span>

_I was boarding the white ship with the blue stripe, savoring every step I took on the ramp. I looked down to see Bryce standing at the dock in front of a newly built bridge - it looked like it was built by hand - waving me off with a smile. He was truly happy for me. I was happy for myself too. I was on my way to the island in the distance with the violet roses, to a place that did have chains or a lonely sad atmosphere._

_But my happiness faded when I looked again towards the bridge. My parents hadn't crossed it like Bryce had. They weren't smiling happily or waving me off. They just stood together, refusing to cross the bridge. They wanted to stay on the other side where all I could see behind them was nothing but green curtains of leaves and vines and tall trees that caused the area to live in a dark shade._

_They weren't happy for me, only upset. My mother looked at me with tearful eyes. She had been crying – I could tell by the trail of black on her face from her mascara. My father wasn't crying, but the look in his eyes tried to silently beg me not to leave them._

_I stopped walking up the ramp. I felt terrible seeing them like this. I couldn't leave them like this. How could I be so happy when they were so upset with me and what I was doing? _

_I couldn't move myself up the ramp, no matter how much I wanted to be board that white ship. But I couldn't move myself down the ramp either. I wanted the white ship and where it was going to go too much to just give up on it._

_I was frozen. Stuck between two paths._

* * *

><p>I sat down under one of the growing fruit trees on the field trying to get under little shade it provided, as the tree had not yet grown tall enough or have many branches and layers of leaves. I didn't have the best night of sleep, so I had to force myself out of bed. The sun wasn't making it any easier, but I suppose it wasn't as hot as it normally was that summer; I suppose the season was beginning its transition into autumn.<p>

As I sat in what shade I was in, I gazed at the plot of land that Luke and Bo worked on – Luke watering the crops, and Bo harvesting the crops.

They surprised me when they came by and immediately started working on the crops. I asked why they were helping after I already gave them the tickets. Apparently, Dale thought their reward was too big for how little of work they did, so the two were ordered to work on my farm for at least two more days to make sure they earned those tickets. They grumbled a few things under their breath about Dale while they worked, but when it came to me, they were all grins and didn't complain once.

I was tired, and when they noticed this, they stuck their thumbs up and said, "Just leave it to us!"

They managed to get a good chunk of my work done within only half an hour, but that was to be expected. Like the day before, my work on the farm was finished early thanks to those two.

After work, I cleaned myself up and headed for Ocarina Inn alone to visit Bryce and grab some lunch while I was at it, but when I was got there, I found out that Bryce wasn't there after all. According to Colleen, he went out for a walk around town. I decided to still order some lunch there and waited patiently at a table while Colleen cooked.

Then, Maya come into the room from one of the hallways, humming a cheerful tune. She saw me and greeted me, asking if she could sit with me. I didn't mind, so she sat down in the seat across from me. She rambled a little about various topics until she finally found one that made her tone of voice a little less chipper.

"So, did you hear that Bryce will be leaving the island today?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did."

She nodded slowly. "It's too bad… We were starting to like him being around here. He's a really great guy, huh?"

I didn't answer. Actually, I wasn't given much time to answer because at that moment, Colleen placed my food in front of me, which caused Maya to drool and begin trying to convince me to let her have a bite.

After eating, I didn't know where else to go. I started to wish that I asked Luke and Bo tag along with me for the day, then maybe I wouldn't find myself becoming bored with nothing to do. Besides, they probably had work to do once they were done helping me on the farm. I had thought about visiting Chase at his home, I but ruled that one out on account of my unwillingness to walk all the way to Flute Fields and risk not making it back to the docks on time to see Bryce off. In fact, I didn't even know what time he was planning to leave, so leaving the generally area of the docks was out of the question. I settled with visiting Kathy at Brass Bar since I hadn't spoken with her very much since my birthday.

"Welcome, Molly!" Kathy said as soon as I walked in. "You're here especially early today, and you're just in luck too. Chase had to come in early today too."

I looked over her shoulder and saw him behind the bar counter, wiping away at a mug. But he wasn't the only one I wasn't expecting to be there. Bryce was there too, sitting where I normally sat in front of Chase. It looked like they were talking. What could they have been talking about? As far as I knew, they didn't have anything in common. The more I thought about it, the more hesitant I was to approach them. But I did eventually.

When I got closer, I noticed that Chase looked uncomfortable and his cheeks were red while Bryce was looking at him intently. Now I really wondered what they were talking about.

"Hey, guys," I said to them.

They both didn't look too excited to see me, and both muttered a "Hey". I waited a moment for them to continue talking or at least invite me into the conversation, but they didn't say a word. It was like they didn't want me to know what they were talking about. I decided not to pry. If they didn't want to tell me, I wasn't going to stick my nose into their business, no matter how curious I was.

"So, Chase," I began, "why are you here so early in the day? I thought you only worked at night?"

He sighed. "Yeah, well, Hayden got sick yesterday. Kathy knew Selena wouldn't want to do it, so she asked me if I could help out."

"Oh, that's nice of you." Then, I heard the scratching sound of Bryce's chair scooting back as he got up. He looked ready to leave. I could only assume that I had somehow upset him and made him want to go. "Is…is something the matter?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No. I just think I should be getting my stuff together to leave soon. I'm supposed to be leaving in an hour and I haven't even packed my bag yet."

"Okay… Well, I'll be sure to meet you at the docks before, then."

He nodded and then turned to Chase. "I probably won't see you again before I leave. So, take care and remember what I told you, okay?" He winked before turning around and walking out of the bar.

I took the bar stool he was sitting in. "What did he say to you?" I asked.

Chase wouldn't look at me. "Just something stupid…" I let it drop, seeing that he didn't want to talk about it with me. He then looked at me expectantly. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Oh, no. I just ate lunch."

He sighed and propped his elbow onto the counter, keeping his face up with his palm. "I don't understand why Kathy asked me to help. It's not like we get that much business during the day anyway. I could be doing something worth my time right now."

He was right. With the exception of me, the only other person in the bar was Ozzie, the owner of a nearby fish market. If this was how it always was during the day, then Kathy could easily handle things by herself. She wasn't the type to be lazy, so my only guess was that she didn't want to be alone while she worked. I couldn't blame her. It was much easier to work when there was someone there with you.

Chase started untying his apron. "Screw it. I'm taking a break." He walked around and took the seat to my right.

"Hey, Chase? I, um, never thanked you for what you did the other day."

"What did I do?"

"When Bryce first came here, you covered for me when he asked if you had ever seen me before. I wanted to thank you for that."

"Oh, that," he said. "Don't worry about it. I could tell that you were freaking out, so I had to do something. I've gotta admit, I wasn't expecting you to be a blonde."

I laughed. "Yeah, I sort of changed it when I left."

"Just a little," he added with a chuckle. "But I like your hair the way it is now. It looks better this way. It suits you."

I smiled. "I think so too."

He grew quiet for a moment as he began to frown to himself. He hesitated. "Listen, I've been wanting to ask you something. That guy you're engaged to… Well, why did you agree to marry him? I mean, you did tell me that you didn't want to marry him, right?"

"Yes, but I never agreed to anything," I said. He looked at me confusedly, so I clarified. "It's an arranged marriage set up by our parents."

That must have cleared up the confusion he had from what I gathered by the expression he made. His jaw clenched. "I didn't know people still did that nowadays."

"It's not too uncommon of a thing where I come from."

That was true. I had met plenty of people around my age at a few dinner parties that were already engaged to be married. Marriage was a way of connecting the families to benefit their status and power. Not to mention it was also a way to ensure that children were to be taken care of in case something unfortunate were to happen to their family's business. They would always have someone to lean on. It didn't matter if the couple were in love or not.

Some were excited to be getting married, some couldn't care less about the person they were marrying and only cared about furthering their family's success, and then there were some that were completely opposed to the idea. I remember meeting a girl that was a year younger than me. If I could remember correctly, her name was Whitney Wells. She was a very strong-willed girl with long, dark brown hair that she liked to decorate in pretty ribbon and lace. The idea of arranged marriages disgusted her. She often fought with her parents about it, even in public where everyone would be watching. I witnessed one of those public arguments and imagined what it would be like if I tried to stand up to my parents like she did. I knew I wouldn't actually do that – I was too obedient – but I liked to wonder.

"It's ridiculous," Chase vehemently said through his teeth. "You mean to tell me that you didn't have a say on if you married that guy or not? That isn't fair!"

"It didn't matter if I had a say or not... My parents were always so excited about me going to marry Bryce. They had been waiting for us to get married since I had been born..."

He exhaled in irritation. "I swear, Molly, you're too selfless."

It was weird how too much of a good trait can turn it into a bad trait. But he had a point. I thought too much of what other people wanted. Apart of me wished I was somewhat like Whitney Wells, so adamant and out-spoken regarding what she believed in. She didn't care if her family disapproved. She only cared about what would make her happy.

I had soon left the bar to wait at the docks for Bryce, but I promised Chase that I would be back as soon as Bryce was gone. I stood at the end of the pier and took turns gazing out to the ocean and watching Pascal prepare his ship. Some time had passed before I heard some voices from behind me. It was Maya shouting and waving goodbye to Bryce as made his way to the dock, carrying a large green bag over his shoulder.

He gave the bag to Pascal and stood in front of me for a while without saying anything. It was hard to tell if he was thinking to himself or if he was waiting for me to speak first.

"That's a pretty necklace," he finally said. "I noticed you were wearing it yesterday too."

I touched the violet rose pendant around my neck. "Thank you. It was a birthday present from Chase."

He then laughed a little to himself before mumbling something I couldn't quite hear. I decided to not figure out what he said or ask what he thought was so amusing. It didn't really matter. I was more concerned about other things.

"Before you go, I want to know how much about me you told the residents on this island," I said.

"Oh." He paused to think for a moment. "I don't think I revealed anything about you besides that picture I showed people when I was looking for you and when I told Chase that you're my fiancée. Do you mean to tell me that the people on this island don't know about where you come from?"

"Chase and the mayor's son are the only ones that know that I ran away…"

He shook his head in disapproval. "You're going to have to tell these people who you are eventually. You can't hide it forever."

I bowed my head in shame. "I just haven't figured out how I'm going to do it yet..."

"Everythin' is ready to set sail!" Pascal called from the deck of the ship.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back with me?" Bryce asked. "I'd really like it if you did, but if you don't want to… I just want you to be happy…"

"I'm…I'm happy here," I said, trying my best to not look at his face, afraid of seeing a look of disappointment on it.

"I trust you, okay?" He turned to the ship that was ready to take him away and then back to me. "Molly, I want you to be completely honest about something with me. Do you really want to marry me?"

It was like he was asking questions that would set him up for disappointment. Of course, I didn't want to marry him, and up until then, I had no idea if he could sense that or not. Obviously, he could because why else was he asking me this? I dared to glance up at his face. It was hard and void of emotion. I wanted to cry for him. I must have been hurting him. Was this selfish of me? Where was the borderline of being selfish and doing what makes you happy? I mean, hurting Bryce didn't make me happy, but staying on Castanet and not going back home did.

I swallowed and tried my best to think of only myself and what made me happy. "No, I don't," I said.

"Then, I want you to end it. Right now."

My eyes widened. Never in my life could I predict that Bryce would be standing here, demanding me to break the engagement with him. I wanted that to happen, but…is that really what he wants? He doesn't want that. He's just trying to make me happy. Letting him do this… Am I crossing the borderline? Would breaking the engagement be selfish of me? Breaking someone's heart so that I could be happy. Isn't that selfish? I couldn't tell… And not only that, breaking up with Bryce would be like slapping my parent's across the face. I've already betrayed them enough by running away, but this? I don't know if I can stand to do anymore to them.

"Bryce…I can't…" I said so softly that I wasn't sure if he even heard me. My bottom lip was quivering and the lump in my throat was getting harder to ignore. I bit down on my lip hard to make it stop.

"Then, I'll do it for you." He held my face in his palms and made sure that I was looking directly into his green eyes. "Margaret Amelia Rose Montgomery, I no longer want to marry you. I'm breaking the engagement between us." He let go of my face and pulled me in for a tight hug.

I was stunned. No words could describe this light, chilling feeling that came over me when he did this. It was almost liberating.

"Everythin' is ready to set sail!" Pascal called again. It sounded like he was getting impatient.

He let me go. "I have to go now, but I can be back anytime you want. Anytime at all. Call me and I'll get here as fast as I can, I promise!" He held one my hands and smiled sadly. "Goodbye, Molly."

He walked away, but I tried to keep his hand in mine for as long as I could. It was like I was never going to see him again. I wanted to thank him, thank him for everything he had done for me. But the words wouldn't come out of my mouth. It was then when he had to board the ship that I had to let go of his hand. Then, the boat started moving. I stayed on the dock until I couldn't see it across the ocean any longer.

* * *

><p>I returned back to the bar as I promised Chase I would. I slowly walked back to my place in the bar stool next to Chase. I sat, not uttering a single word. I was still speechless. I was too happy for words. What words could I have used to describe how I was feeling without making it an understatement?<p>

Chase looked at me with glazed violet eyes. "So, what? Your fiancé leave yet?"

A laugh involuntarily came from my mouth. My eyes were watering and my cheeks were beginning to hurt from how wide my smile was. I couldn't help myself from crushing Chase in a hug.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?"

I pulled away from him so that I could look him in the face. The words were begging to come out. I blinked and the water from my eyes escaped and made a tear, one for each cheek to feel slide down. "I don't have a fiancé!" is what burst out of my mouth.

He stared at me in amazement, his eyes slowly getting bigger. I hugged him again, needing to find a way to exert all of what I was feeling. This time, I could feel his arms wrap around me too.


	17. Anything but Inferior

**** I know, I know. It's been months since I've updated this. Trust me when I say that you have no idea how much of a jerk I feel like for that. Dx  
>I wrote half of this months ago and finished the rest just recently. I was having major problems getting into Molly's character after not writing in it in a while, so it was hard to write. I'm not exactly sure how great this chapter is to read, but it has some Molly and Chase bonding time in it since I feel they should have some more. :p To warn you...I didn't proof-read this before posting it. I'm honestly just more concerned about finally updating. So, if there's errors, SORRRYYYY. I'll fix them later.<br>**

**I hope you enjoy my extremely late chapter! :) **  
><strong>

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><p><span>Chapter 17<span>

It was finally the first day of the new fall season, which meant no more hot, grueling, sweaty days. The temperatures were now much cooler compared to the flashing mid-summer heat I had to work in before. But unfortunately, when something good comes along, something bad has to join in on the fun to balance everything out.

Along with the cooler, more relaxed season, there was also a field of dying summer crops and, of course, those pesky weeds I had to completely clear before I was able to plant anything new. This was definitely a day where I could use Luke and Bo's help, but I didn't want to bother asking them to help; they probably had plenty of other carpentry related work to do. Besides, I didn't want to start thinking that I had to depend on people helping me in order to get things done on the farm. I could do it all by myself.

After taking care of the animals, I got started on clearing the field. By the time I had finished, it was almost noon. It was a lot of work and took a longer than I expected, but in the end, I was glad that I didn't resort to asking someone for help. Now that the field was taken care of, I needed seeds to sow. I took a quick water break and then headed off for Marimba Farm to buy seeds.

Once I was getting close to Flute Fields, I remembered that Chase happened to live right beside Marimba Farm. Maybe he would be sitting outside his house like when I ran into him in the beginning of summer. Although, this time I would try my best to not let Chase force me into learning how to cook white rice. But it was possible he could be sitting outside; it was about that time of day where he would be waking up.

I continued to walk, taking my time, as I was still a little tired from clearing the field. I was getting closer, and once Chase's house and Marimba Farm were close enough for me to see everything around it without me having to squint my eyes, I frowned slightly. I didn't see Chase sitting outside like I was anticipating. He must have still been asleep or something. I wasn't sure why, but apart of me was sort of hoping he would be there just so I could see him. Talking to him would be better, but I suppose I was just really in the mood to see Chase.

I went inside Marimba Farm and browsed the selection of fall crop seeds. I saw that spinach seeds were for sale. I remembered when Luke was telling me how I needed to grow spinach once it was in season. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try it, so I grabbed a few bags of spinach seeds. For a moment, I imagined Luke jumping up in the air in celebration as I tell him that I'm growing spinach on my farm.

Along with the spinach, I grabbed a few bags of yam seeds. Yams seemed like a reliable crop since it could be sold at a good price and grow back after harvesting it. After buying my seeds, I felt a little excited for the new season. This could be the season where I fully establish myself as a successful, independent farmer.

With my bags of seeds all collectively held in a paper bag, I walk out of the shop carrying my purchase proudly. When looking straight ahead at where I was walking, I stopped to stare for a brief second.

Chase was sitting outside of his house.

He looked the same as the last time I ran into him in front of his house – the breeze blowing through his bed-head, his eyes closed as he faced the sky out ahead of him, his face looking soft and relaxed. The only thing different was the color of pajama pants he wore this time – green.

I couldn't help but smile brightly as I made my way over beside him. "Good morning, sunshine!" I said, knowing that he must have woken up not long ago. "Are you awake yet?"

"No," he said groggily. He opened his eyes and saw the bag I was holding. "I'm guessing you just came from Marimba."

I nodded. "I had to buy new seeds. I bought yam seeds, and Luke said I should grow spinach, so I got some of that too."

Chase rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry you have to put up with someone like him. He must drive you crazy with his antics."

I shrugged. "He's not so bad. He's just a little…hyper. That's all."

"Whatever you say."

We grew quiet with nothing else to say. I hated that I couldn't find anything else to talk about with him, and I certainly didn't want to keep standing there looking awkward and not saying anything to him.

"Well, I guess I should get back to work now. I'll see you later," I said reluctantly. Just when I was starting to walk off, I stopped and turned around. "You know," I said hesitantly, "I don't know how much fun it would be to watch me water plants, but you're welcome to stop by any time. So, if you're ever not busy, I would really love the company."

* * *

><p>I sighed in satisfaction once I finished the tedious job of sowing all of the newly bought seeds.<p>

I was just about to grab my watering can when I spotted Chase walking up from the corner of my eye. He waved his hand.

I waved back, possibly a little too happily.

"I figured since I didn't have anything better to do today…" Chase said, not finishing.

I smiled. "I'm glad you actually came."

He looked the other way awkwardly, like he was avoiding my gaze. Then, as he was looking over at my fruit trees, his eyebrows rose. "Hey," he said, "looks like you've got a stalker."

"What?" I looked over there too. If I looked good, I could see a foot sticking out from behind one of the trees. I was surprised. How could I have not noticed there was someone there the entire time I was working? "Hey!" I called out to the foot. "What are you doing over there?"

The foot didn't move, and whoever owned it didn't answer back.

Chase rolled his eyes. He scanned the ground and picked up a rock by his feet. He then inched a little closer and threw it.

"Ow!" we heard. I recognized the voice and was positive that it belonged to Bo. He hopped out from behind the tree. "What'd you do that for?"

Chase's face was deadpan. "You wouldn't come out. So, I threw a rock."

"No way. I thought it was a puppy you threw!" Bo sat down on the ground and groaned while he rubbed his ankle.

"It's not seriously hurt, is it?" I asked.

"No, but it's going to bruise."

"Bo, what are you even doing here?"

Bo sort of chuckles under his breath and spoke, suspiciously looking around wearily as he did. "Well, it's actually – " Suddenly, he saw something behind us, and his body stiffened. He then crawled as fast as he could back behind the tree was before.

"Hey, guys!" we all heard come from behind me and Chase. It was Luke running up from Harmonica Town in the distance.

Bo poked his head out and put one finger to his lips. "Shhhh!" Then he retreated back behind the tree.

When Luke had made it to us, he bent over to pant and sweat. I suppose he didn't see Bo while he was still far from us, because he didn't bat an amber eye over at the fruit trees.

I was still a bit confused about what was going on. I mean, first I find Bo hiding behind my fruit trees, then Luke comes running up here without any warning.

"Umm, hi, Luke," I said. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah! Have you guys seen Bo?"

So, that was it. Bo was hiding from Luke. I shared a look with Chase and could tell that he had pieced this together too.

"Why are you running around looking for Bo? What'd he do?" Chase asked.

"What? Bo didn't do anything except finding an awesome hiding spot!" Luke exclaimed and pumped a fist into the air. "We're playing extreme hide-an-seek! It's like regular hide-and-seek, but we use the entire island!"

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I mean, this was Luke we were talking to, but I was almost expecting that Bo was in some kind of trouble. I didn't want to ruin their game by giving away Bo's hiding spot, but it was now very hard to avoid looking back at the fruit trees.

"Actually," Chase said, "now that you mention it, I think I remember seeing him running off towards Flute Fields on my way here."

Luke's eyes widened excitedly. He turned to me for reassurance. "Is he telling the truth?" he asked, as if Chase had tricked him once before.

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered.

Luke flashed a giant grin and abruptly starting running for Flute Fields while yelling a "Thank you!" over his shoulder.

Bo waited a few seconds to make sure the coast was clear before coming out from behind the tree. "Thanks, guys. I owe you one."

"So…this is just a game?" I asked for clarification.

Bo nodded. "That was too close though. I better run and find a different hiding spot."

"Go to Town Hall. There's a library there," Chase said with a laugh.

Bo laughed. He thanked us one more time for not ratting him out and left for Harmonica Town and presumably Town Hall's library.

I scratched the patch of hair under the brown hat I was wearing. "Well, that was random," I said. Chase watched me for a moment, not saying anything. It was making feel a little self-conscious. "W-What is it?" I asked.

"What's up with that ugly hat you've been wearing so much lately?"

"Oh," I laughed. I took off my hat and showed him the blonde roots of my hair that the brown hat had been hiding. "I've looked around the stores here on the island and didn't find any hair dye. I'll probably have to use one of the tickets I got for my birthday to go to the mainland and get some."

"It's been almost a week since Pascal took Bryce back, so he should be back any day now."

"I gave Luke and Bo a ticket each. Yesterday, they said they want to go whenever I do, so at least I won't be alone when I go."

Chase's lips pressed together and his shoulders tensed. "Are you sure you'd want those two with you? Bo is fine, but with Luke… They'd be so much trouble that it'd be just as dangerous as going alone. And the mainland can be dangerous for someone like you to go alone."

I shrugged. "I was fine when I ran away from home."

"I'm surprised you didn't get mugged. You got lucky."

I giggled and patted him on the shoulder. "Well, you don't have to worry about me. I can handle it out there."

He wasn't convinced. His eyes averted away from my face and towards the ground as his lips pressed together tighter than they already were. "I guess, but still…"

Maybe I was just jumping to conclusions, but it was like Chase was genuinely concerned. I wasn't expecting for him to care about something like my safety. It felt good to think that he would actually care about what happened to someone like me. I could feel it in my chest, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Hey," I said softly, "I still have one more ticket." Chase's eyes flickered up from the ground, showing I had his attention. "If you'd like, you can use it and come with us. You know, so I don't get mugged or anything."

He cracked a smile. "Well, we wouldn't want that."

I smiled too. "Nope."

Chase chuckled lightly under his breath. He then began to scan the farm's fields. "So, since I'm here, do you want me to help or something?"

"Oh," I said, looking out at my dry land as well. "I have another watering can, but it would be rude of me to have you work…"

He sighed. "Quit worrying about being rude. I'd rather water a few plants than watch you do it."

So, after finally agreeing with him, I gave him a spare watering can I keep around. We watered the plot in silence, nothing but the sound of our feet pacing and the sprinkles of water coming the watering cans. The silence made me wonder what he was thinking. Was this silence uncomfortable for him? Should I have said something? Was this awkward for him? It wasn't awkward for me. I thought the silence was a bit relaxing.

"Hey, Molly?" Chase said quietly, almost in a sad tone of voice. His mouth was straight and he didn't lift his head to look at my face. Maybe the silence actually was uncomfortable for him.

"Y-Yes?" I stuttered nervously.

"I was just wondering," he hesitated, "if you would tell me why you ran away from home and came here…"

My nervousness went away. I suppose I should have only became more nervous because he was asking specifics about my past, but the fact that he actually wanted to know surprised me, even more so that he was hesitant to ask, as if I would turn him down.

I thought to myself for a minute. I wanted to just blurt out every thing to Chase – where I'm from, who my family is, that my family was still trying to find me. Every thing. To explain why I ran away, I would have to give some sort of background to what my family was like for him to understand. I could try giving another vague truth, but how vague can I be with this? I could definitely leave out my family's wealth.

"My parents…" I started. "Ever since I was born, my parents had held such high expectations of me. I'm their only daughter, so they liked to spoil me and brag about things like my hair or my manners. And because of," – I hesitated – "how my family is, I was expected to act and dress a certain way. If I tried to speak out, they wouldn't take what I really wanted seriously…"

I paused to read Chase's face. He was watching me intently, obviously absorbing every word I was saying. I mentally thanked the heavens that Chase didn't question what I meant when I said, "how my family is". If he had asked, I wouldn't have known how to put "My family is rich" in a delicate way that wouldn't make it a big deal.

I continued. "People complimented me so much, that it was like they were just saying things to get me on their good side…including my parents. It always felt like everyone was only lying to me. It made me second-guess anything nice someone had to say about me. If someone said my hair was pretty, I would assume that they truly thought that is was ugly and they were just trying to make me like them. They'd amplify how 'superior' I am, when really…I only felt like I was nothing but inferior…"

"Molly," Chase said up, his face firm. "You are anything but inferior."

At that moment, Shelley's face suddenly popped into my mind; that's exactly what she had said to me that night at the mansion. I shook my head and laughed fondly to myself. "Back home, I had only one person that would really listen to me. Her name was Shelley, and she worked for my family. I'd always have these weird dreams, so in the middle of the night, I would sneak out of my bedroom to go to this room. We would sit in there and I would tell her about my weird dreams and she would go on and on about how much she couldn't stand my mother. She's the one that helped me run away…"

"So, she knows you're here on the island?" Chase asked.

I shook my head. "She doesn't know where I am. Coming to this island was a complete accident. Besides, it's probably better that she doesn't know; she got involved enough when she helped me escape."

"You know," Chase said, "I'm not one of those people that blames every thing on destiny, but maybe you coming to Castanet wasn't an accident."

The thought hadn't come to my mind before. I shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just glad I'm here now."

"Me too."

"And Chase…I'm sorry if I'm always coming off as secretive. It's just that I'm honestly very afraid of saying too much about who I am and where I'm from. I don't want to take any risks of ruining what I have here on this island…"

"So, you mean they are still stuff you haven't said yet?"

"Yes…" I looked the other way in shame. I'm such a coward.

"Just know that you trust me," he said with a soft smile. "I won't rat you out or anything."

"I know you wouldn't rat me out…but you might think of me differently though."

"Whatever it is that you're ashamed of, it can't possibly be _that_ bad."

"It's just hard to come up with the guts to say it. So many things can go wrong if someone just happened to be eavesdropping on us right now…" I quickly glanced over at the fruit trees to be sure that there was not another person hiding there. I probably would have lost it if it turned out someone were actually there listening to every thing I had just said.

He sighed. "Don't think I'm trying to pry into your life or anything. It's really none of my business anyways. You can tell me whatever it is whenever you feel like it."

"It doesn't bother you that I won't tell you?"

"Like I said, it's none of my business."

My mouth became slightly agape as I examined his facial expression. He didn't look like he was lying or bothered at all. "I don't understand how you can be so cool and understanding about me keeping secrets from you," I said in amazement.

"I wouldn't want people in my business either. Besides, if it really is something that can cause you leave the island, then you don't have to tell me. I wouldn't want you to have to leave, so…" he trailed off, an embarrassed look on his face.

I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Was I supposed to thank him? Maybe I should have. He was being incredibly great to me about every thing after all. Anything would have been better than not saying anything at all.

Chase must have known I wasn't going to say anything else and began to turn his head around to scan the field we were watering. "Come on. If I help you finish your work early, I can make us something to eat at my place. What do you say?"

Chase had made me food several times before this, but somehow this time it felt special in a way. It was planned. It wasn't a last second run in with him where he suddenly lets me inside while half asleep. He was inviting me over to his house. It shouldn't have been such a big deal to me, as it was a very casual thing to do with a friend, but I couldn't help but get excited.

I'm not certain what inside of me gave me this idea. Maybe it was because this oddly felt like a special time to me. But once I suggested it, Chase's violet eyes grew three times as wide from shock.

"Chase… Do you think we can add meat to whatever we're eating?"

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><p><strong>** I'll try not keep you waiting so long for the next chapter. Again, I apologize for not updating in so long. I hope you didn't completely forget about me! xD<strong>

**I'll see y'all next chapter! **  
><strong>


	18. Newly Omnivorous

**** You guys have my full permission to mentally murder me for not updating in so long. Trust me, I feel terrible for it. ****

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><p><span>Chapter 18<span>

Chase scurried everywhere in his kitchen like a maniac. He would repeatedly go from one end, where the recipe book was, to the other end, where his refrigerator, pantry, and spice cabinets were. His kitchen wasn't even that large, but the way he frantically ran from each end made it seem like it was more efficient than just walking.

I sat and patiently watched this from his kitchen table, idly tapping my feet on the floor. I didn't expect him to take this so seriously. Watching him freak out over which dish should hold my first ever serving of meat made me feel so laidback.

"I'm sure whatever you make will suffice," I said.

"No way," he said while speedily flipping through his recipe book. "It's your first time, so it has to be with something memorable."

I sighed and laid my head down against the table. I honestly didn't care much about what he made me. I was more focused on knowing what I had been missing out on all my life. As long as it had meat in it, I was fine with it. However, Chase insisted on ensuring that my first bite was to be perfect, so I had to wait for him to find the best dish to prepare.

Once he finally decided on something, I watched him pull ingredients out and start cooking. I offered to help cook, but he didn't want me anywhere near the food until it was time to eat it. So, I continued to watch him from the kitchen table and tried to guess what he was making. Because of my lack of knowledge of cooking, I wasn't very familiar with what ingredients are typically used for anything, so my own personal game ended as quickly as it started.

I put my head down and closed my eyes while I waited. Eventually, I began to hear a sizzling noise, and soon a delicious scent filled the house. I looked up and saw him making my plate. He sat the plate of food on the table, along with a glass of water, and sat in the chair in front of me. The plate was a leg of fried chicken and a small side of corn.

"It smells good," I said.

"Try it."

I stared at the chicken for a moment. "Do I…use my hands?"

"Oh, do you want a fork? Some people eat it with their hands, but you can use a fork too. I'll get you one."

"No, it's fine. I'll just eat it with my hands."

I picked up the chicken leg and held it in front of my face. I could feel the breadcrumb skin on my fingertips and could almost taste what chicken tasted like just from the smell. I looked up to Chase's eyes intently on me. You could tell he really cared about what I thought of his food, even before I started eating it.

I took a deep breath. "Here I go." I took a bite. The brown outer layer was crunchy and tasty. The meat of it was juicy and tender and tasted so good that I didn't understand why somebody would actually want a side of corn with their chicken. My mouth was watering and I suddenly realized that I was hungrier than I initially thought. I dug deeper into the leg.

It was too good to not be sinful.

"You must like it," Chase said, smiling.

"Mhm," I hummed with my mouth full. I was almost finished with that piece.

"I'll get you some more." He placed a breast and a wing on my plate and then grabbed a leg for himself.

"Wow, Chase," I said. "You're starting to make me hate my parents for not letting me eat this."

"I'm guessing your parents would hate me if they found out I fed you this stuff."

"Definitely!"

He laughed and took a bite out of his. "Do you sometimes miss your parents?"

"I feel bad for saying it, but I honestly don't. I worry more about what they're thinking now that I'm gone."

"They must be worried about you."

"Yeah," I said muttered. "I wish there was some way I could let them know that I'm okay without them knowing where I am." Talking about my parents was starting to make the chicken taste bad. "So, what about you? Do you miss your parents?"

"Oh, I don't have any parents."

"What do you mean? Everyone has parents."

He shook his head. "I'm an orphan."

I immediately felt bad for asking. "Sorry…I didn't know."

He smiled softly. "It's okay, I didn't know them. I was too little to remember anything, so it's not a big deal to me." He looked down at my plate when I stopped eating. "Are you done?" I nodded, and he took my plate to throw away the clean bones and put it in the sink.

I got up and glanced out one of his kitchen windows. The sun was setting behind the trees and the clouds in the sky were turning pink. I sighed. The day seemed to have gone by so quickly to me.

"It's getting late. I should probably be heading home now," I said, a bit sad that I had to leave.

Chase said he wouldn't feel right not walking me home, so he came along for the walk home. It wasn't until about halfway there that I felt something turn in my stomach. I grimaced at the unpleasant feeling, but I didn't say anything; it could have just been nothing. However, as we kept walking, I began to slow down and the sick feeling rapidly got worse.

"Molly, are you okay?" Chase asked worriedly. He gently put his hands on my arms and got me to stop walking.

"I feel a little nauseous," I said.

I took a few steps forward, away from him to keep going the way towards home. But then, I felt it kick. I knew it was coming, so I rushed off the dirt trails and onto the ground into a bush a few feet away. The taste was awful, and the smell was even worse. It made me want some more chicken to drown out the terrible taste in my mouth.

"I wouldn't have made the food if I knew you were just going to throw it all up," Chase said, but once he saw a guilty look on my face, he quickly spoke again. "Sorry, it was a joke!"

He helped me up and put one of his arms around my shoulders as we walked the rest of the way home. Once in my house, he sat me down on my bed.

"Just go to sleep. I'll go talk to Dr. Jin," he said.

I shook my head. "It tastes bad."

It took him a second to figure out what I meant. "Oh, yeah, right," he said with a scrunched up face. "Do you have mouthwash or anything?"

I pointed at the bathroom, and he came back with a big blue bottle and a cup from my kitchen. He poured a little in the white cap and handed it to me. I swished the blue stuff in my mouth, thanking the minty flavor. I spit it back out into the cup and gave it back to him.

He hesitantly took the cup back; he was obviously grossed out. He emptied the cup into the bathroom sink and set my stuff on the counter before coming back to me.

"Watch out. I think some of my DNA was in there," I teased.

"Make fun of me all you want, that was still gross."

"I guess you shouldn't have fed me then."

"I didn't plan on you seeing your meal a second time," he said with a laugh. "Just go to sleep. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"I told you. I'm going to talk to Dr. Jin really quick and maybe get him to come down here."

He left, and then I was alone in my house again. I honestly didn't think it was necessary to get Dr. Jin. After throwing up that one time, I felt, for the most part, better. I was just tired and had a stomachache. But I knew Chase wouldn't hear any of that. He'd get Dr. Jin anyway.

I did the only thing Chase asked of me and tried to fall asleep. It wasn't long before I started forget about my stomach and drifted into sleep.

* * *

><p><em>I stood on the rotunda's marble floors with my hands over my eyes. My parents had told me to not peek, so they must have gotten me a great birthday present. They had already got me a beautiful, white cake with a giant, gold number five resting on the very top. One of the servants had to give me a stepladder because I wasn't tall enough to even see the top of the table it was on.<em>

_I heard footsteps, and when they stopped, Father asked me to get ready to hold something. Then, a ball of soft fur slipped into my arms. Not knowing what it was scary, but still so exciting._

"_Open your eyes, Margaret," Mother said._

_My eyes open to a small gray and white kitten with a blue ribbon on its neck. It must have been sleeping because it let out a yawn and wiggled around in my arms in attempt to stretch its legs. I held it closer to my face, enough to feel the fur on my cheeks. It was looked so sweet, and its eyes were a delicate, light blue. The kitten licked my cheek, making me giggle in delight._

"_What would you like to name her?" Father asked me._

"_It's a 'her'?" _

_Father chuckled. "Yes, it's a girl."_

_I named her Giselle, simply because I thought the name was very pretty. I put her down on the ground so that she could stretch. Instead of stretching though, Giselle decided she would rather chase around the longer ends of the blue ribbon she saw from the corner of her eye._

_I spent my time spoiling Giselle and playing with her. She didn't like playing with the stuffed mice toys I already had for her, so I asked Mother if we could buy a ball of yarn for her to play with, like the cartoon cats. I would gently comb her fur, dress her up in even more ribbons and bows. I even convinced Mother to let me have her in my bed at night when I go to sleep. I would talk to Giselle about things, as if she were an actual human being that understood what I was saying. In my mind, she understood everything I was saying to her. It was nice to have a friend to play with that wasn't always Bryce._

_But after only two days of fun, Giselle accidentally scratched me while I was holding her. My cheek bled a little, but I forgave little Giselle and continued playing in my room with her. However, by the end of day, my parents alarmingly saw my scratched cheek and said I couldn't have Giselle anymore. They were going to take away my new best friend._

_I cried, saying that it wasn't fair and that Giselle didn't mean it._

_"Don't cry, dear. We'll get you a new pet. A nice pet with no claws!" my mother said in attempt to cheer me up._

_"No, I want Giselle!"_

_"Molly…" a voice said._

_"No, she didn't mean it!"_

_"Molly, wake up!"_

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><p>My body jerked as I awoke in my bed. Kathy was right beside my bed.<p>

"Wow, I didn't think you would actually hear me in there," she said, slightly proud of herself.

I looked around. It was just the two of us and it was quiet in my house. "Why are you here? Where's Chase?"

"He's at work. He asked me to watch over you since he knew wouldn't get a break, being the only chef at the bar and all. He even brought Dr. Jin over here while you were still asleep. He said you're okay. I don't really remember all he said though. He explained it all, something about protein enzymes and digestion… All I know is that you got sick because your body wasn't used to eating all that chicken at one time. Slow down, girl."

"Did he say if he was coming back?"

Kathy sighed and leaned back in her chair. "You don't know how worried he was earlier. Of course he's coming back."

"I feel a little bad. He put a lot of effort into that meal."

"Nah, I wouldn't worry about that. It's not like you wanted to puke it all up," she said as she brought up a box of crackers she had by her chair. "Here, see if your stomach takes it," she offered with a smile.

"Thank you." I took the cracker and nibbled on the edges of it. My stomach didn't have any problems with it, so I ate the entire thing slowly.

"You know, Chase isn't a very welcoming and open person," she started. "But he seems to be comfortable around you."

I could tell she was hinting that he had crush on me. I could feel my face heat up. "Oh…he's very kind when you get to know him."

"Or he just really likes you." She smirked and watched me uncomfortably flush. When she saw that I had been embarrassed enough, she changed the subject. "So, how does it feel to not be a vegetarian anymore? Feel any different?"

I thought for a moment, but all I ended up doing was imagining my mother and father's faces. "It feels like I'm breaking the law."

Kathy and I talked a bit more until I convinced her that I was well enough for her not to not have to watch me. She was hesitant, but I reassured her that I was just going to go back to sleep and that I would be fine.

After she left, I looked over to check the time. It was almost midnight. I reached down for the box of crackers she had by her chair and ate a few. I guess my stomach was feeling completely better considering I didn't throw any crackers up. I kept the box on my bed and kept nibbling on them and staring at my ceiling mindlessly. I didn't even realize

I awoke later in the night and immediately checked the time. I had only been asleep for two hours, although it felt like two years. Even if I tried with all my might and brainpower, I wouldn't be able to remember what I dreamt about, only that I did certainly dream of something good.

I reached down on my bed, my hand searching for my box of crackers, but I found nothing. I sat up to look around, but somehow the box had ended up on the table across the room. I didn't remember putting that there before. I went over to the table and saw that a folded piece of paper was under the box. I opened it and read:

_Didn't want to wake you._

_Kathy told me you said you were feeling better, but I wanted to stop by to make sure._

_I'm really sorry about getting you sick tonight. I'll make it up to you somehow…_

_Goodnight._

_- Chase_

I put the note back and went to bed without my crackers. I cuddled up in my blankets and fell back to sleep with a smile.

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><p><strong>** Along with the reviews asking me to update already, thank you to <strong>**Hikaru Uzumaki-Inuzuka**** and ****YuuRam4eva417**** for reminding me and asking me to update.  
>Seriously guys, if it gets to be too long, totally spam me. I encourage it. Spam the crap out of me until I do it!<br>It definitely will work. xD**

**I'll try not to take 17923583 years to update the next chapter! ****


	19. Mainland Plans

****Hello! I hope y'all didn't think I was dead! It has been over a year. I tried writing this a few months ago, but I suppose I have been going through a period with no inspiration and motivation. Terrible combination. **

**ANYWAYS, it has been a quite a long time since I've written something decent. I'm a bit rusty, so forgive me if this chapter reflects just that.**

**Enjoy! :) ****

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><p><span>Chapter 19<span>

I woke up to see the sun shining unusually bright outside. I must have woken up late. It didn't surprise me, as I was rather tired from the day before. I had forgotten how tiring vomiting involuntarily could be.

I could feel my stomach crying for food. I wasn't sure if I should eat or not. Would I just throw it back up? All I knew was that I was so hungry that it hurt. So, I got up and grabbed the box of crackers I had the night before. That would hold me off until I found a real meal. I thought about why I had thrown up in the first place. It was too bad I had to throw up a meal that Chase really tried to make perfect for me. I suppose it's the thought that counts.

I got dressed and started my regular routine of tending to my crops. The yam and spinach plants looked green and healthy. It made me excited for when they will be ready to harvest. I could already hear Luke cheering about the freshly grown spinach. I watered the crops and headed for the barn to feed Giselle.

"You're growing so much, girl!" I said to her as I brushed her fur.

Giselle kept her eyes closed while she enjoyed the brushing. If she were a cat, I am confident she would be purring.

"Hey, Molly! Are you here?" I heard someone shout from outside. It sounded like Chase.

"I'm in the barn!" I shouted back.

Chase came into the barn and pinched his nose. "It stinks in here."

"Yeah, you get used to it though. So, what are you doing here?"

He ran his hand through his peachy blonde hair. "I wanted to make sure you weren't still sick and throwing up."

I smiled. "Oh, thank you! You didn't have to do that. I feel a lot better. I'm just hungry now. Do you want to get breakfast with me?"

"Umm, I would, but it's almost 2 o'clock," he said with a laugh.

"I knew I woke up late, but I didn't realize I slept for that long!"

"Want to make lunch at my house?

"Sure!"

We walked and talked on the way to his house, where we made sandwiches with some fresh red apples. Although I was hesitant, Chase convinced me to put a little turkey meat in my sandwich. Apparently, Dr. Jin said that eating a little at a time should help my body get used to the idea of digesting meat. I put two very thin slices on my sandwich and ate it. The turkey definitely did make it tastier. I just hoped that it would stay in my stomach.

"So, I was thinking…" I said.

Chase spoke before taking a bite of his sandwich. "What were you thinking?"

"I'd like to use those tickets to go to the mainland some time this week. It would be fun." I lifted up my hat to show my blonde roots showing below the brown. "Plus, I need to go soon."

"Let's go. Pascal just got back in last night. We could leave tomorrow. I would just need to warn Hayden that I would be gone. It'll take about three days just to get there, so we can definitely count on being gone for about a week."

"I guess I should make sure Luke and Bo know that as well. Hopefully Luke's father will be okay with it."

"I hope he isn't."

"Don't say that! Luke and Bo were really excited when I gave them those tickets. I would hate for them not to be able to go."

Chase sighed. "You're so sweet, Molly. It's really killing me."

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><p>After lunch, I decided to head over to Garmon Mines to talk to Luke and Bo. Chase decided not to go; he figured that since he would be spending a week with Luke soon, he might as well enjoy some peace and quiet while he could.<p>

I found Luke and Bo outside the carpentry, chopping wood while Luke's father supervised.

Luke looked over Bo's shoulder and pointed towards me. "Look, Molly's come to visit us!"

"How did you know I was coming to see you two?" I asked.

"Because everyone else here is lame!" Luke said proudly with a loud laugh.

"Knock it off, boy," Luke's father grunted.

"What'd I do this time?" Luke said, getting irritated.

"Anyways," I quickly intervened, "I know this is short notice, but I wanted to ask something."

"What is it?" Bo asked.

I told them about wanting to go to the mainland the next day and how it would be about a week until we got back. Luke and Bo immediately responded by begging Luke's father to let them go for a week.

"Please, Boss! Just one week!" Bo pleaded.

"C'mon, Pops! We'll make up the work when we get back!" Luke added. He even dramatically got on his knees and seemed to try force himself to cry.

Luke's father glanced over at me and said, "Okay, but you boys need to work your butts off until you leave."

They cheered and jumped up and down. I couldn't keep count of how many times they said "thank you." Luke looked like he was ready to kiss his father's muddy boots.

Luke and Bo asked me to walk with them to Fugue Forest, where they would most likely spend the rest of their day doing nothing but gathering lumber. I didn't mind; I needed to go to Flute Fields anyways to talk to Renee and Anissa about watching over the farm while I was gone. When I talked to both of them, they said they would help me out in return for a souvenir from the mainland. I also offered to pay them what I could for their troubles. It was really the least I could do considering they would be doing a week's worth of work for me.

I walked around the area to gather some plants and herbs to sell before heading down to the bar for dinner. I wasn't too hungry when I got there, so I ordered a salad.

"Luke and Bo can go to the mainland," I announced to Chase.

"Hayden said I can go too," he said.

"Yay! Now we can just go tomorrow!"

Chase smirked. "You're really excited about this."

"Of course! It'll be like a road trip, but with a boat!"

"Aren't you worried about somebody out there recognizing you? Maybe people on the mainland know you're missing and looking for you."

"Yeah, I guess so…" I pondered the idea for a while. I really had no idea if my parents had search parties out there, besides Bryce and his crew. I sighed exasperatedly. "I think my life would be a whole lot easier if I didn't have parents that wanted to find me."

He shot a look. "You know, you should probably be a little more grateful that they are trying to find you."

"I'd rather they not try find me."

"No offense, but you're coming off as a bit selfish right now."

I couldn't believe he had just told me that. Usually, I was told the complete opposite. I had never had someone provoke me like that in my life. Frankly, I did not like it. I was not going to hesitate though. I was done trying to filter or take back what I feel to make other people happy. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I do take offense to that," I hissed.

"Well, that's too bad," he muttered. He looked like he didn't want to look at me.

"Yep, too bad." I reached in my pocket and grabbed some money. I slapped it on the counter. "Keep the change."

I walked out after that. It probably seemed very dramatic of me, but I didn't care. When I got home, I hastily went to bed. It was hard to sleep knowing that I was mad and that Chase was most likely still mad as well. I took the next few sleepless hours to lie in bed and reflect.

I had never been mad at Chase before. In fact, there weren't very many times in my life that I had been angry with anybody at all. I suppose I had always been too afraid to get angry. Anger led to outbursts, which would have definitely made my parents look bad. I cannot even imagine what my parents would do if I embarrassed them the way Whitney Wells would to her parents practically on a routine basis. Ship me to boarding school? Disown me? When I started thinking of it that way, I almost considered having angry outbursts to be the solution to my old problem.

But why did Chase and I have this little clash? All I said was that my life would be easier if my parents didn't want to find me. We both knew for a fact that that was true. If they weren't looking for me, I wouldn't have to worry so much about covering my tracks or getting caught. I could live a normal life on Castanet Island where I don't have to keep secrets from everybody that I know. Why would he call me ungrateful for that? I didn't understand until it hit me.

_Chase is an orphan. An orphan. _

I sat up in bed and let that explain every reaction Chase had during our fight. I buried my face in my hands. I could not believe what I had done. No wonder why he snapped at me for being ungrateful.

I felt so terrible, so guilty. I considered the idea of him not wanting to talk to me after that careless remark I made. I would not have blamed him; however, the idea of that hurt. It made my chest painfully tighten and made me want to cry. The one time I decide to think selfishly, I lose someone that I really like.

I hurried out of bed and tripped over the furniture looking for my shoes. I looked at the clock. I still had time to catch him walking home from the bar. I needed to apologize. I didn't know what else I could do.

I opened my front door and was shocked when I saw Chase ten feet away from my door. He was walking to my house. _Why is he here? Shouldn't he be upset with me right now?_

I didn't know what to say. The fact that I was looking at him while knowing what I had said made me feel even worse. It was hard to hold back the urge to burst into guilt-ridden tears.

"H-Hi…" I said.

"Hey," Chase said, looking down to the ground, scratching the back of his head. He didn't look angry at all; he looked sad and awkward more than anything. "It didn't feel right planning on going to bed tonight, knowing that you were probably mad at me."

He thought _I _was still mad at _him._

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I rushed to wrap my arms around him and let the tears come out. "I'm so sorry!" I said into his chest.

I didn't feel his body react very quickly to my embrace. I imagine my crying all over him made him a little uncomfortable. My cries were starting to hiccup.

After a few seconds, Chase finally started to react and gently put his arms around me. "Shhh, calm down," he said while softly rubbing my back. "It was only an argument. It's really no big deal. No need to get so emotional as if…" He cut himself off and sighed. He continued to rub my back in an effort to soothe me.

I calmed down enough to lift my head up from his chest to look him in the face. "I thought that you might not want to talk to me anymore," I said. He reached into one of his pockets for a handkerchief. He gave it to me, and I wiped my face while uttering a small "thank you." When I finished, I took notice of how close we were to each other; we still had our arms around each other and our faces were only a few inches apart. I did not want to move, and I hoped that he felt the same.

Chase shook his head. "That wouldn't happen. To be honest, I look forward to seeing you every day."

"You do?" I thought I was the only one.

His face began to turn red. "Well…yeah."

At this point, it was impossible to ignore how close we were and how fast my heart was starting to beat. His face was slowly getting closer as he watched me with careful eyes, as if to ask if it was okay. I did the same thing and inched closer. I knew what was happening. I was nervous, but I wanted every part of it.

Chase closed the small gap between us and pressed his lips onto mine. They were thin and surprisingly softer than I would have imagined. I felt him smile, and he went in deeper. I brought my hands up so that I could run my hands through his hair. His hands ran down to my waist. I did not want this to stop. This is what writers were talking about when they wrote about "sparks flying" during a kiss.

We slowed down for a minute and stopped to look at each other. His violet eyes were much more beautiful up close.

Chase was the one that exhibited self-control when he said, "We have to get up early tomorrow."

I took my hands out from the back of his head. I actually wanted him to stay a little longer, but I was too embarrassed to say it. "Y-Yeah, you're right."

He saw that his hands were still on my waist and awkwardly brought them back to his side. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," I said, slowly backing up to my doorstep. "Good night."

I went inside and closed the door behind me. I felt that I had to give my brain a few minutes to process the last ten minutes. Now I definitely wasn't going to fall asleep.

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><p><strong>** This chapter was a bit short compared to how long I usually write my chapters, but I wanted to start their journey to the mainland in the next chapter. I wrote this all in one night (although I did stay up quite late to finish it).<br>**

**So, I want to take this time to thank the people that have kept encouraging me to keep writing and update. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT, GUYS! I can't believe after all this time, you still want to know what will happen to Molly and Chase! I knew I had some loyal readers, but WOW. Seriously, thank you.  
><strong>

**It did help with my motivation a little and reminded that I had left something unfinished. If you follow my other stories, you know that there are some others of mine that are unfinished. I will get to them as I can, but for now I would like to focus my energy on finishing this story here.**

**This story is almost finished guys! **

**I'll see y'all next chapter! :) ****


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